Ride of Life and Death
by iram0123
Summary: Dying once is horrible enough. The same process happening more than twice is an utter hell. Every time, everything Mira come's to care about is stripped away. Dying in fantasy world is no better than in a real one. (Byakuya x OC x Aizen, Stark x OC x Ukitake)
1. Chapter 1: The worst first impression

_We'll never get free  
Lamb to the slaughter  
What you gon' do  
When there's blood in the water_

_-Grandson_

* * *

_Fleeting Sakura Arc_

_Chapter 1:_

_Worst first impression_

* * *

_The rainwater is supposed to be cold. It should feel like icy needles against your skin, especially if there is nothing there to protect you from it. But at the moment next to a concrete road and stormy grey clouds filling the sky there is nothing._

_Numbness._

"_Are you alright?" _

_Large eyes look up at the dark shadow covering them. There is innocent light in that single gaze – the complete opposite of the gloomy rain. Mud forms and the sewers fill with that same murkiness. _

_There is no answer to the question, though. _

"_Why are you cryin'?" _

_A small hand reaches out towards a pale larger one. The latter's fingers have long since hued with icy blue shade and dodge the smaller limb. _

_The rain continues to fall and the first step towards the flooding road is taken. The pair of feet make 'splash' sounds with every step. Large round circles form together with the drops of waters hitting the liquid covering the concrete. They ripple through what could be a smooth surface. The water on the ground is far colder than the one falling from the sky. _

_There is still nothing. _

_Tires screech. Two blinding lights. _

"_Look out!"_

* * *

_-/ -__**83 years ago**__\- /-_

"I bet he used his family's influence to get the position."

He could ignore all of them. The respectful masks they manage to put on and the way their eyes flash with envy or annoyance whenever he passes by. It isn't like it hasn't happened before. No matter where it is outside the walls of the manor, the whispers from and expressions on both strangers' and acquittances' faces are all the same. One could call it a second skin, the way those things continuously follow the youthful boy.

_You are better than them. _His clenched fists started trembling a while back, but now they are positively tremoring. Also, there is a noticeable frown tugging his eyebrows together, but the men holding the back of their group don't notice.

Lucky them.

"Shh! He will hear you!"

_Too late for that, _he almost wants to grind out. The heat is slowly gathering in his head and if there is one more strain in the atmosphere he will snap. He knows this and would gladly go with the rage boiling in his gut.

They do not know what they are talking about. This position wasn't _given_ to him… at least that is how Byakuya sees it. He has been working hard. There is nothing but the difference in the effort that divides him from the others. The more he thinks of this, the tighter his hand clutches the handle of his sword. This very same _Zanpakutō is what he gained with his own strength and nothing else. _

He shouldn't glower over what anyone else says. He should stand proud, for his house and family name. After all, he has been charged with an important mission. There is no room for losing one's temper and –

"He is still a little kid, too."

Something snaps and his steps halt.

"**Huh?**"

In a second, the dark-haired Soul Reaper has twisted his neck to glare at the frozen subordinates who have started sweating profoundly. Nobody moves, not even twitches. It is clear from the dark seeping aura around their newly appointed superior that those are the best courses of action they can take.

"Would you," Byakuya starts ominously, hand reaching for the handle of the sword, "care to repeat that?"

"N-no, sir!" The first one manages to speak up and shakes his head together with the other three.

"I s-said nothing, sir!"

"N-neither did I!"

"Please forgive our insolence!" The entire four-man squad lowers their heads into deep bows and speak-up at the same time. Everyone's foreheads are touching the dirty ground belonging to one of the lower districts in Soul Society. They probably wouldn't be doing this, if the one before them didn't appear as the incarnation of the devil himself.

"Hmph!" The young man clicks his weapon shut and turns his back to them. "Make sure your attention stays on the mission only. We have to fully report what we discovered later to captain and no mistakes are allowed," he says evenly, no trace of malice or previous anger left in his tone. "Is that understood?"

"Y-yes, Kuchiki-san, sir!" They all chorus and straighten up, going back to following him through the streets.

The scene has created little attention to them. People always make way, whenever Soul Reapers are walking through the districts. They all know that nothing good will come from disturbing their business in the area and so mostly keep to themselves. Byakuya is next to whispering behind his back used to people avoiding from getting in the way. So, this behavior isn't what puzzled and created uncomfortableness for him, when arriving here. The appearance and smell of the entire place are what has caused him to falter a bit.

He is not used to this kind of air. It has more odors from different sources and space is far more cramped than anywhere he is been to. That is also why he is finding this mission bothersome. With this much limit to search and wide area to do so, there is a problem in how they are going to find their target from these parts. This mission is one of the chances for Byakuya to prove himself – he can't let these minor details stop him.

"We part here," he finally says in the middle of a wide opening in the middle of the run-down city. "The orders are to mainly gather intel on the missing person. Your priority remains on alerting Squad two if there is a need for force."

"Yes, sir!" They all square their shoulders and a sense of pride fills Byakuya.

This is the best course of action. By scattering they can cover more grounds and, in a great likelihood, find details that can't be scavenged out in a group. The other squads sent out here have, in all probability, done the same. If they all stay together, they will be easily noticed and then create a sense of fear. The suspect would have only small distances to move freely in.

Mentally gathering his plans on searching the district from the portion given to him and the men, the young Soul Reaper begins to walk down yet another alley. First, observe, engage and then analyze the information. That is how he should approach anyone who might be acting suspiciously or appears to have links to what he seeks. Even now, as he walks calmly forward with one hand still on his sword, many shady individuals are avoiding his eyes and approach. This is also problematic, though. There are many aspects from them that he could question, and the people only seem to grow in numbers the longer he walks.

"_This mission is not only for you to gather intel, but to show persistence and calmness. Do not forget that recklessness is not acceptable while you are fulfilling your duty." _Byakuya frowns, recalling his grandfather's words. His determination only grows from them. The last person he would want to bring shame and disappointment to is Ginrei.

"GAAH! Someone stop that bloody thief!"

The young Soul Reaper's heart makes a small jump and his attention turns sharply towards a nearby street. It is on the other side of a narrow pathway between two shaggy buildings. A figure runs past and Byakuya watches in slow motion as that person disappears behind a corner.

One ruffian knows many from the same area. Thinking this, he doesn't hesitate sprint after, barely minding what kind of filth he is stepping on. Unlike any other soul in this district, only a Soul Reaper could know how to flash step. And that is exactly how he gets more than two-step ahead of the escapee and is behind them in a second.

_Control. _

This time, without a thought, he reaches out and curls the entire length of his arm around the person's middle – they scream. There is not a second to think, when he has flipped them rather easily down to the ground, creating a small cloud of dust. The person now beneath Byakuya gasps and starts struggling.

_Restrain. _

He twists a single wrist behind the suspects back and they yelp in pain as he drives his elbow deep into their back. "Don't move."

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, let go, ow!"

"I said don't move!"

With much difficulty, the person finally manages to look over the shoulder at the young boy on top. The fall has made dirt smother the face and features, but a single watery grey eye is still glaring up fiercely. Byakuya had noticed before and even now from the complaining, but this person has a high-pitched voice. Not the kind that is shrill to the point of pain, but not deep enough to belong to a man.

_A woman. _

Huffing, she bangs her free fisted hand against the ground. "Kind of hard, when you are – ow, ow! Stop breaking my fricking arm! What is your problem!?"

This is a somewhat a comical sight. The woman is clearly older than the young man on top of her. She is also thicker in build and Byakuya easily appears as a very thin and stick-like youngster. Still, he has managed to overpower her and for a moment he is hesitant. This is not an image of a thief he had in mind – he was expecting a man or a boy, with rougher features.

She has a scar, though. Indicating not so gentle upbringing. It is a thin line, barely visible, and only becomes visible, when there is a flash of fear registered in the brown orbs and dark eyebrows knit together. The skin around the scar tissue tightens from this and highlights how it runs up from the corner of her eyebrow and an inch upwards, towards the hairline. The woman is aware of the situation, as her gaze darts between the dark uniform and her captor's face.

There is a silent understanding between them. She now knows whom he is based on the black outfit and his hold doesn't loosen, when the struggling ceases. In fact, it tightens from suspicion. The trace of panic and fear vanish from the grey gaze and those orbs dull into something aching close to monotony.

The woman's eyelids close. "Just my luck."

That single muttered line causes Byakuya to frown. He doesn't understand what has come over her – she doesn't fight and has become completely slack as if giving up the fight. Irritation bubbles in his gut. _Is she underestimating me? _

"I have questions and you will answer them, _thief_."

She sputters, the tenseness in the muscles returning. She looks back at him with disbelief on her dirtied face. "Wh-what did you just call me?"

"A thief," he repeats, tightening his grip and watching her wince. "You will answer truthfully, or I will break your arm."

Her cheeks pale under the mud. "Whoa! Hold on a sec! Listen, I may have stolen these clothes from that old grey witch a few months back, but I doubt that _that_ is enough to make me lose a limb! Have mercy! Waah! Don't kill me! I was only chasing another thie – ow, ow, ow, ow!"

Byakuya nearly flinches from how loud she starts crying out in pain. He is starting to doubt, though, that he got the wrong one. There is no possible stolen item in sight and his eyes trail all over the grounds around them. They have somehow ended up into an abandoned alley, with barely anything surrounding them. Unless she has hidden it underneath the ghastly greyish brown kimono she wears, there is really no other place he can think of where she could have placed the snatched object.

A street person still has to know the ways of streets. And the people who live there.

Getting both tired and confused by her cries, he twists the wrist and presser it tighter against her back. Her jaw clicks shut. "Cease your yammering. What do you know of Akemichi Kumotetsu?"

"H-huh? Ake…" she trails off, but then glances up at him with uncertainty. Her mouth opens and closes with hesitation, but then she asks carefully: "What do you want with him?"

"That is none of your concern," he answers bluntly.

The woman's eye twitches for a small second before she lets out a huff and drops her forehead on the ground. She lets out a small grunt from the impact, but otherwise stays tightlipped for a while. "… how about you let me go and I will tell you about him? Sounds good? _Please_ tell me it sounds good."

Again, Byakuya doesn't slacken his iron-tight grip. Both it and his expression stay stoic, despite the calculating thoughts in his head. The silence is unnerving and finally, the woman gathers the courage to glance back up at him and she visibly stiffens. There is an obvious difference in their eyes, despite the same color. While hers are sparkling with innocence and silent prayer the Soul Reaper's are cold and narrowed in suspicion.

"What do you know of him?" He finally asks in that same blunt tone he has used until now.

The woman's jaw drops. "What about letting me go!?"

"You aren't in any position to make demands. You will probably just try running away and I do not have time for games."

For a moment, a small insignificant second, there is a flash of emotion inkling close to irritation in her gaze. However, as soon as it is there, it disappears, and the innocent glaze is back. "Fine. But you have to promise to let me go after."

_Depends on the information you can provide, _he almost wants to say but bites his tongue.

She takes the silence as a positive answer and clears her throat. "I have only met and spoken to him a couple of times in the past – we only greeted each other, mind you – but I know he isn't really popular in these parts. I don't really know the details, but basically, everyone hates his guts. The guy also usually hangs out near the district's border. They have a really small fish shop there and he goes there to buy some food. You should check that part out."

By the end of her talk, Byakuya has developed a deep frown on his face. "Is that all?"

Probably for the third time, she glances up and a visible trail of sweat lines down against her forehead. "Um… he lives around here?"

"When was the last time you saw him?"

She is clearly hesitating, again. "I-it was… last week?"

There is a very thick silence. Neither of the two speaks and the only thing serving as a reminder of the situation and location is the constant chatter and occasional yelling coming from the busy street somewhere behind them. The temperature of the air seems to drop a few degrees, though, if possible.

"You," the black-haired youth starts and then digs his elbow into the woman's back, causing her to yowl in pain, "are lying." He stops putting pressure on her, but his fingers curl tighter around the wrist in a warning. "Last week he was still part of the Squad three and on active duty. There is no way you could have seen him."

Gritting her teeth, the woman slowly twists her neck to lock their eyes together. Finally, there is no trace of fear or uncertainty in her, like the helplessness and wailing never existed. A small grin spreads on her lips, instead. It isn't feral one that belongs to a ruthless street rat or a nasty one that is to scorn and mock the young Soul Reaper.

She is grinning up at him in a playful and mischievous manner.

"You know, for a kid, you sure have some muscles."

Byakuya gets a second to blink before his captive has gathered dirt into her free hand and tossed it at his face. Immediately, all of his senses are filled with either the taste, smell or the feeling of rough earth and his hold loosens. The woman takes this opportunity – in a second, much like how he had captured her, the dark-haired boy is the one who ends up falling to his side and feeling how she squirms out of his hold and reach.

_A failure. _

A sense of panic causes him to desperately wipe off the dirt in his eyes – he doesn't remember the last time he felt like this – while his other hand twitches towards the handle of his sword. Every part of his eyes stings and he coughs when the specks of dust manage to enter his throat.

"S-sorry about that, but you do kind of deserve this," the woman's voice is not once again scorning, but actually sounds a tad bit apologetic, if not annoyed. A weird combination.

"D-damn you," Byakuya hisses and cracks his one eye open, glaring at the figure whose outline is blurred by tears. He is not so sure what kind of face he is making, but judging by the small squeak, the sight is not pleasant.

_How dare she… _

The last time he felt this kind of burning rage… the time when he was humiliated to this kind of extent… every fiber of his being is being burned by sheer anger and the familiar sensation of blood rushing into his head returns. The hand closing around the sword's handle is not twitching anymore but grips it to the point where Byakuya's knuckles turn white.

That Cat Demon is one thing. She is almost on the same standing with him when it comes to their households. But this woman is far beneath him in every aspect. Beneath his blood, his rank, and background.

And she has dared to make a mockery out of him.

_A disgrace. _

Through the blur, the way she starts taking steps back is obvious. "H-how about I leave now? Good? Good… See ya!"

"Wait! Stop right there!"

* * *

_Why me!?_

The ground is slippery and grimy and totally unfit for quick movement. And I am running like a mad dog. Circling and turning around buildings until I am not even sure if I am heading wherever I want to. Not even falling and colliding with people and walls can stop me from moving forward. Every person who looks after me with wide eyes must think that I am a woman possessed by a mindless spirit.

_Run, run, run! _

Now and then, I do the most unwise thing and glance over my shoulder, still recalling the previous scratching of the earth, when pressed down. It was horrible. That is the mildest word I can come up to the treatment I received while speeding up like my life depends on it. For a moment back there – in an abandoned space, an _alley_, where no soul could be a witness to a gruesome crime – that one boy had looked ready to wrench my head from my shoulders.

At first, it was scary and amusing, but near the end, it was like a life-death situation. There is an ache around my wrist and back that remind me of the terrible turn. _He seriously was ready to break my arm! _In all of my life, the last thing I ever thought of witnessing was a minor who could scare me shitless. I feel like digging a hole and burying myself there if that could be a way of escape.

Suddenly, a flash of black further ahead causes the heels of my feet to dig deep into the ground. Naturally, I slip, again, and fall down to my rear, before scurrying behind the nearest corner. A guy leaning next to that same spot gives me a weird look, which I return with the universal sign: _please be quiet! _

I am sweating like crazy, thinking that the devil kid has somehow managed to track me down. However, when I see an unfamiliar face of a different Soul Reaper, I let out a sigh and nearly fall back down to the ground. _That was scary. _My heart is beating rapidly in my chest and cold sweat continues trickling down my back.

"Ya do something?" The stranger standing next to me asks leisurely.

Like from a switch, my mind wanders back minutes ago, when I threw that pile of mud on that boy's – _young_ man's – face. Involuntarily, I cringe. "Yeah, probably."

I look back around the corner and frown when the man dressed in dark corners a random person who is in the middle of selling trinkets. The latter is obviously uncomfortable, but his jaw keeps on moving up and down, as they speak. The sight makes my brain compare the scene immediately with what happened to me just a while ago and I frown in envy. Phantom pain and pressure on my back return, the longer I stare.

"Do you happen to know why there are a bunch of Soul Reapers lurking around the place?"

The man shrugs and scratches his backside. "Who knows. They came this morning and keep spreading. Probably searching for something."

_Or someone. _

I do not tear my eyes away from the scene but do recall the short conversation – if you can call speaking while being manhandled a conversation – I had with that young Soul Reaper. He had not given any reason, but he had been asking for a person. _Ake… muchu… No, it was Ake-something. Ugh! _I bite down on my lower lip, cursing the short-term memory.

One thing is for certain. I would have to be careful not to run into trouble for a while, at least. _A thief, _I almost scoff and start walking, fearing that someone might tackle me down, again. This is what I get from trying to be a model citizen – bruises and taste of dirt.

* * *

"I'm back," I say tiredly, as soon as I have parted the thin grey cloth serving as the entrance door into the small building I call 'home'. There is barely any furniture, but the soup in a black pot is waffling its scent everywhere. It is a much warmer smell compared to what lingers outside.

A stray cat, which is not an unusual sight here, waltzes in right after me. It is completely black, and a frown mars my face from seeing it jump near the boiling food. _Seven years of bad luck, was it? _The feline flicks its tail innocently and I sit down near it sluggishly. _Now that I think about it, I have bad luck, to begin with._ The thought does not lift my mood and I lay down on the hard surface.

From this position, I do not see anything else from the ceiling but can hear how the blanket in the corner shifts and clothes begin to rustle. A loud yawn is the only warning before two heavy feet stomp against the wooden floor and disturb the false sense of peace.

A groan later, I turn to my side to see a younger woman sit down near the pot. "Ain't you a bit too – ack! You look terrible!"

"Thanks," I say back with fake cheerfulness, wiping away the mud on my face, but without a doubt end up spreading it. "Nice hair, by the way."

Sophie blows a light strand hanging directly in front of her face and crosses her legs, giving my form a scrutinizing look. "Don't change the subject. What happened? Need me to beat sense into somebody?"

I shake my head and go back to lying with my face facing the ceiling. "Nah. It was nothing… By the way, what have I said about leaving the food unsupervised? You could lift the entire house on fire like this, you know."

"I have got this, woman," she raises her hands up in a dramatic manner and then pokes the soup with a wooden spoon. As she does so, the kimono loosely tied around her waist starts to drop starting from her shoulders. A bit grumpily, no doubt from still being too sleepy, she corrects it and goes back to stirring.

It is far fancier kimono than what anyone else wears around these parts. It has vibrant colors of navy blue and red flowers patterning the hem and sleeves. The red sash in the middle only makes it more obvious that the entire package wasn't what just anyone could afford. It should be worn by someone from a different district, maybe a real lady who has powdered face and red lips. Still, Sophie manages to make it all suit her, despite the not so graceful movements and otherwise rough mannerism.

Once the fire dies out, Sophie stands up again and walks to her private corner. There isn't anything really private about it, though and I watch silently as she starts combing her hair. It is one thing that makes her differ slightly from the rest of the people around here, one trait that makes her someone easy to be recognized.

"New clothes?" I finally ask out of nagging curiosity and reach out for the bowls. The bottom of my stomach is already cramping, and drool starts forming when I reach out to take some soup.

"Yup. Kazama-kun said he thought of me when he saw this," she chuckles and tugs on the long sleeve. "Honestly, I do not think I could wear this out there. Someone might actually try and rob me." Her dark brown eyes – contrast to the lightness of her hair – slide to me on the small cracked mirror set on her table. The valley splits her face in two. "Would you like to have it?"

The question sends my heart beating fast and I nearly choke on the soup. The offer is unexpected. My own gaze moves across the shape and colors of the kimono in slowly growing greed and I wet my lower lip in anticipation. After wearing rags for so long, hardly ever seeing any decent material, the innocent question is too tempting. However, that excitement dies just as slowly as it begins, like a candle that is growing weak flickers for the last time.

My attention returns back down to the murky colored soup. "Didn't know you want me to get beaten out in the street."

_It wouldn't suit me anyway._

Sophie laughs from the mental image and turns back to check on her appearance. "Don't worry, though. I won't be wearing this for too long. I can sell it and get food on the table for a while. Maybe then we can all take a slight break from our jobs and spend some special sisterhood time!"

I do appreciate the thought of more food and days with breaks. I am eating absentmindedly, but a frown still manages to tighten my facial muscles. "What about the guy?"

The blond waves her hand dismissingly, expression hidden by her mass of hair. "It isn't like I asked him to buy me anything. If someone gives you a gift, it is permission to do as you please with that gift."

"… But he likes you, right?"

"I suppose so," she sighs in an exasperated manner and turns fully around. "But enough of that. I want to hear why you are looking like you ran through Ume-san's backyard and still managed to escape."

The food almost gets stuck in my throat and I give a nervous smile with a cough. The act does little and brown eyes narrow in skepticism. I have not yet set sight on myself. The mirror behind my housemate is inviting me to take a peek, but my behind is glued to the ground. Swirling the soup with a spoon seems to be much interesting out of nowhere. Telling that someone she lives with has insulted – and _maybe_ even slightly assaulted – an authority figure – age is just a number with Soul Reapers apparently – does not sound like anything I should let escape from my mouth. Truthfully, at first, I thought that talking out of that situation had been for the best. Throwing a bunch of mud on that kid's face had not been in my plans. I did get away mostly unscathed, though.

Slowly, as if dealing with an animal that could pounce, I set the bowl aside and stat inching towards Sophie's desk. I am really starting to become curious about what kind of damage I have gotten. I ran through the streets, so nobody else has brought it up. There are some dull aching and tightness on the right cheek which met with the hard ground when I was pushed, or more like thrown, down. A bruise will more likely form there. And my clothes, which didn't look too great, to begin with, are slightly covered in dark earth and mud.

_I can't look __**that **__bad, right? _

Seeing where I am going, the blond scoots herself off to the side, making room for me to take her former seat. Her expression from before was interesting enough, so that must mean…

On the cracked surface, my eyes blink owlishly back and slowly my jaw drops. "I look…" the words get stuck in my throat, "like a troll."

The description earns a cackle. "Nice way of putting it!"

The right side of the face is mostly covered in dried up mud. Smudges and lines created by fingers that had desperately attempted to remove the dirt have only managed to further spread it to the bridge of the nose. That's not all, though. Some ends of the hair have been coated in the same mud decorating the cheeks and thin strands stick to it. The mass of spiky brown locks reaching the chin has no control. The dark dirt has only made it worse. And I start wondering how I missed all of this the longer my half-cracked reflection stares at me. Mortification soon shoots up my spine as I realize that I had just run through a sea of people looking like this.

Then, the emotions of embarrassment are replaced with growing irritation. An image of the very one who had created this state I am in flashes in my memories through Sophie's still-constant snickers. The youthful face twisted into a scowl, the surprisingly rock-like grip and pressure on her back… he had looked so thin but easily flipped me down. Despite how a scowl of my own starts to form on the mirror, a shiver travels down my back.

"Sophie-chan," I start gradually, not moving my eyes from my face," if someone tries restraining you, how do you throw them off?"

"Hm? Someone attacked you?" She asks and moves closer. I do not see it but feel how her eyes look at me up and down to see hidden damage. "You okay?"

"It was… a misunderstanding," I say carefully reach out to wipe the excess brown smudges across my cheek with my sleeve. "But I do not want to go through that again."

Surprisingly, the young girl reaches out her hand and touches tenderly my wrist. I look down to see a reddish mark surrounding it. "It was a man, right?"

I shake my head, feeling a sense of vulnerability surrounding me from her touch. The mark is large, and I shudder unconsciously. It is frightening how someone with such a young voice and body has such large palms.

"I need to get into shape," is finally what comes out of my mouth.

Sophie raises one eyebrow. It isn't judging, but her brown eyes look at me meaningfully. "Didn't I tell you months ago how dangerous it is even during the daytime? What part of the town were you at, anyway?"

"You know that I don't take things seriously enough unless something _serious_ happens. Besides, I wasn't anywhere dangerous; it was at the stalls' area."

"Wow. People get crazier by the day," she sighs and then crosses her arms. Strands of long blond hair slide down against her shoulder and reach her crossed knees. One look at my calm expression makes her sigh for the second time. "Fine. I will show you some moves."

I grin gratefully and stand up with her. "Thanks, Sophie-chan. You're an angel."

She snorts, but otherwise doesn't comment and looks over at my form. "How did he hold you?"

"He got me from the back," I start and gaze down at my wrist. The grip had been crushing and his weight had nearly made it hard to breathe. "He pushed me down and twisted my arm back. Then he also drove an elbow down near my spine."

"That might bruise later," the blond comments and moves behind me. Unlike the Soul Reaper, when she grips my wrist the hold is loose and gentle. She is not him, but a slight and very small sense of panic does fill my chest from the familiarity of human heat behind my back. She doesn't care if the brand-new kimono gets soiled by the filth clinging to me.

"Your other hand was free, right?" She asks and from a mute nod, she continues. "Good. Even if someone tries pinning you down, you can use your free arm, hips, and legs. You must do it quickly, though. Think of a way to distract the person. Like this," Sophie takes a hold of my right hand and bends it over my shoulder until the tips of the fingers touch the side of her face. "You can hit their face or try even aiming for the eyes, if possible and if you're lucky. Use that surprise as a way to push them off and struggle. Another way is to go with the flow so to say," she moves the right hand back forward and pulls it to the left until I am fully turned around. My right hand is pulled then towards her face. "If you're on the ground, this would be harder. You will have to use all of your strength to turn slightly around, but it will work."

The explanation and demonstration are a relief. Back in that alley, there wasn't much hope for me to begin with. But apparently, I did what was needed. I distracted with that desperation of mine and thrown the mud. A temptation of telling Sophie this crosses my mind and the corners of my lips start forming a smile, but then the buzzing pride shimmers from the sight of unnatural spots against tanned collarbone.

She notices where my gaze has wandered off to. The hand holding my wrist let's go and reaches out to cover the damaged area.

Then, she chuckles and leans closer. "Don't worry. Those are called _love_ bites."

Again, for the second time today, someone much younger than me manages to make age just a number. I blush and look away immediately. "I-I know that."

"Would you like some, as well, Mira-san?" The blond has turned into a conniving fox and leans closer, her shorter-build does not matter much anymore.

Horrified, I try back away only to have her follow and continue keeping her grip on my arm. "S-sophie! Let go! Not funny!"

Mirth dances behind her brown orbs. "I can make this funny."

"Gaah!"

"Um?" The questioning sound is soft and much quieter than the rest of the noises, but it does make us freeze on the spot. "Sophie-san, Mira-san, can I ask what you are doing?"

Both of our heads snap towards the entrance where the black cat has loitered to. It has been so silent until now that its existence has almost been forgotten. It is rubbing against a pale leg as a thin hand reaches out to give a small piece of fish for it to eat. The street feline accepts it and the stroking on the back that follows during the eating.

Large purple eyes look up and break the shocked state I and Sophie have been left in. Our hands let each other go and I take a few tentative steps back. The blond let's out a small laugh, mostly at me from rubbing the back of my head bashfully. We must be quite a sight, because those same eyes narrow in gentle laughter and the new arrival straightens up, smoothing down pale-colored clothes.

Without hesitation, I jump down from the wooden floor to the lower ground and run behind the cat and another young girl. She looks at me questioningly with a small smile, as I peek over her thin shoulder. The expression drops a bit when she takes in my appearance.

"Hisana-chan, I am being assaulted!"

* * *

The night isn't silent. It almost never is around these parts. At least as long as I have stayed here. It is always the same with far-away cries, yells and boisterous laughter from some cheap alcohol shop nearby. Silence in these parts is a luxury, the one that I want and can't have. Briefly, my eyes would flicker shut but would jump open and wide the moment there is a weird noise. Not only that but waking up to a numb or aching limb from a hard surface is not what motivates further shut-eye.

This is, however, one of my usual nights. I am sitting near the window. Head leaning against a cold wall, I have closed my eyes and listen further what is happening outside. Someone curses in the distance, another starts an obvious drunken wailing and finally a plate s shattered down a street from this house.

Sighing quietly under my breath, I stand up and peek out from under the curtain. It's almost pitch black if it weren't for the stars.

"You can't sleep?" A voice asks from behind and Hisana sits up. "Does your cheek hurt?"

"No, and you don't seem to be catching sleep either," I say and sit back down, facing her. Still, I resist an urge to touch the large scratch mark left by small stones on earth that have been revealed under the mud from earlier today. Water has managed to clean it up, but the skin had been angry red the last time I saw it, thin pieces of skin hanging limply. _That brat… didn't anyone ever teach him not to be rough with ladies? _

"Would you like something to eat?" She asks and quietly walks towards the window to sit down under it. Our shoulders touch.

I shake my head and look into the dark, feeling her purplish eyes analyzing my face. But then my stomach lets out a low growl. I cover it with my hands. "It is fine. We need to save for tomorrow."

"Yes, I guess you are right."

"… how was work?" The question is the kind that I ask almost every day. It becomes useful when wanting to break a silence.

"Tachibana-san said that my clothes sold well today," she answers with a hint of pride.

I hum and lean further back so that the back of my head collides with the wall. With an exasperated sigh, I pout. "You're so lucky to have such a boss – mine smacked me over the head today."

A chuckle. "Genji-san sure is energetic."

"Savage is more like it."

Hisana chuckles again and we settle into silence. This happens very rarely. Unlike me, the young girl is not the kind to just randomly wake up in the middle of the night. But when that does happen, she always keeps me company until she is too tired and falls asleep. The act always makes me smile a bit, but it is also worrisome. I am far more used to staying awake and getting smaller doses of sleep. She will be exhausted if she doesn't go back to bed soon enough. Even Sophie, who sleeps during the day and works at night knows this – she wouldn't want that happening to Hisana either.

Compared to the black-haired girl, we are far more childish, regardless of the fact that she is the youngest. Her appearance is that of a teenager while Sophie is older than her and younger than me. The thought always makes me confused, though. Last time I checked, it is the one sitting next to me who acts like a mother and I the child.

_Hold on. Am I not insulting myself with this? _

"Is something the matter, Mira-san?"

I turn to look at her. Even in the dark, her eyes are as clear and stare right into my soul. "H-huh? What do you mean?"

"You're frowning," she says and then her voice takes a concerned turn. "From what you told me, is it safe for you to go out tomorrow? Maybe you should take a break. I can go and tell Genji-san of your absence."

There it is again. The concern and worried tone, just like the kind that belongs to a maternal parent. It had come down on me with a full blow when I had half-told her what I told our blond friend. She had offered to help clean my face and clothes. And even was ready to give up the share of her own food, despite being obviously hungry and tired.

Her working place is on the other side of town from mine. So that means she would also have to make a long and early walk there. That would be the last thing I would want to bother my consciousness. Her offer is tempting, though. Another scenario that I will not be too happy to go through with is meeting with that hard-faced Soul Reaper again. He looked to be around Hisana's age, but their personalities couldn't be more different. It is like comparing a sweet flower in a flourishing field with a grey and hard rock at the bottom of a valley.

I am becoming more and more certain that I would sooner jump into a pile of sweaty and dirty laundry than face-off that brat again. No matter how irritated the memory of him and his accuses make me. _Or maybe I should make him taste his own medicine? _A plot of actually finding him and staging a crime pop into my head, but they fade almost as soon as I look back at Hisana. She is clearly worried. Like Sophie, she is also completely unaware that a Soul Reaper is the one who took me down. But the anxious expressions I saw today was enough to make me keep my mouth shut and it still does.

I should get rid of this heavy atmosphere for now. For both of our sakes.

"Give me your hand."

She makes a confused sound, but soon I feel her tiny fingers land on mine. For probably the second time, in this dark and cold place, her expression and gaze are crystal clear – she is puzzled. But then that turns into amusement she lets out a small giggle. The sound is but a very faint bell in the middle of Rukon District.

"Are you going to be reading my fortune once again?" She asks innocently and I place my other hand on top of hers. She squeezes back fondly.

I do not say a word. I flip her hand to trace the lines on her palm. Those paths are not visible to my eyes, though. The tips of my fingers merely go wherever they feel there is a change in texture. Still, though, I make a sound of deep concentration and close my eyes, stopping my tracing.

All of sudden, it is just the two of us. The sounds coming from the outside don't bother me as much as before.

"I see… that your future husband will be big, dark and handsome in a few decades."

_Even though he will always be an arrogant jerk._

* * *

When one day is hectic and has a few misfortunes, you would think that the next day will be a quiet and normal one. That is what I wished yesterday. In fact, I took the trouble of even taking a different route this morning to my job to avoid attention and possible tracking.

Everything has been going on so peacefully…

"You heartless cruel kitty-butcher! How can you assault your only employee like this with your own merchandise!? Turn yourself to the authorities and explain yourself!"

"Quiet you! If you have endangered this establishment of mine in any shape or form, suffer the consequences!"

"I am the victim here!"

"Your actions could cost me my entire shop! My fortune! My family heirloom!"

"What fricking _heirloom_!? You started this business two years ago!"

"Don't question my words, stupid underling!"

"Who is the stupid one here!? Stop wasting water!"

"I ordered not to question me!"

"I'm injured!"

"Don't care!"

Ah, there is the sweet sound of a wonderful relationship between the worker and boss. It is so common during this street that most ignore it as they pass by. Even my sense of shame and modesty are wiped clean when blood starts packing into my skull with one go. The reason being that I have to dodge flying vases while yelling at an older man.

But like during any other argument we have had, it stops after a while. In the end, we are both panting, shoulders hunched down and eyes sharply focused on each other in heated glares. The sight is kind of funny. A greying old man with sticks as limbs and a taller younger woman with hair in disarray sweating and throwing insults at every turn. What is not funny is the pile of shards from brown ceramics used to hold the drinking water that earns me my salary. And now that sweet golden liquid has been splattered all over the floor. For such an aged man, Genji sure has a good throwing hand, as proven by the destruction around me.

_Keep calm. He will twist that old back of his and stop soon enough, _the voice in my head tries reasoning with me, but my fists are shaking at my sides. I just have explained patiently and with great gravity, the events that took place yesterday and my injuries and _this_ is how he reacts?

It is obvious – he is a money-grabbing, heartless old-fart.

Finally, the old man looks away sharply with a huff and starts arranging the vases – the ones he hasn't thrown at me – in front of his stand. "Go and get some more water from the river."

"Huh?" I could get a stroke at any second, but he is obvious to it. "I just did earlier this morning!"

A vein on his neck pops out. "And now our stock has run out!"

"Whose fault is that?" I ask back, gritting my teeth with every bit of tolerance left, and gesture down at the carnage. "You are the one who threw these at me!"

Absently, Genji picks his nose. "Is that right? I distantly remember hiring a helper to take care of the stock amount – you know, with my poor old bones and aching limbs all considered."

"If you can still toss a few pound vases then you're obviously fine," I mutter, not wanting him to start another row with me, especially, if that means more work for me. Even though it takes a considerable amount of self-restraint to lower my volume.

"Hm? Did you say something?"

"Nothing!" I run to the back and grab an empty container before walking back out. "I will be back soon!"

"Yeah, yeah," he waves over his shoulder nonchalantly as another customer walks towards his stand.

Knowing that it will be another scolding session, if not taken care of immediately, I start running down a familiar road. It is an effort not to stumble and fall, due to small rocks prickling the bottoms of my feet with every step. Besides my short-tempered and unreasonable employer, there is another unpleasant aspect of this job – the water fetching trip. It just happens that the shop is at the top of a hill and I have to climb it back up with a new weight in my hands every time.

Honestly, even if I know Genji's personality to this point, I would have expected a bit of sympathy from him. _Throwing dangerous objects at an injured woman… what a brute. _The one thing he seemed to be concerned about was if that same Soul Reaper who gave me the scratches and bruises would come and tear down his business. The thought of that happening actually makes me snort a bit.

_As if that scrawny thing could do that… right? Threatening civilians is not acceptable, right? He wouldn't think about going after my head, __**right**__? _I start shivering from imagining the scenarios. There is really no telling which one is worse. Me getting beaten up by that same black-haired youngster or getting a vase thrown at the head by my boss. The latter would mean getting fired and not being able to pay for the food. It is the one and the only thing I am not prepared to give up with! I and the girls will have less sustenance to fill ourselves with if our shared income is cut short.

My gut churns from the thought of it being empty more frequently than normal. Those times would be the utmost horrible. I unconsciously touch my stomach and start shaking my head in denial.

No, there is no possible way for me to be able to confront that brat if it could come to that. I would have to be very careful with how I move around the town for a while, indeed. Keeping low during headbutting with Genji and avoiding going outside seem like reasonable options.

_Hold on. Why should I run from a kid like him? An authority figure my butt! I am bigger, I am stronger, Sophie-chan showed me how to take care of – _

My thoughts are cut off. Near the end where the shore of the river streaming through the city is, I stumble over a few rocks and fall flat down. The container in my hands is thrown away in the process and it starts rolling further down the hill and towards the waters. Instantly, my eyes widen and panic surges through me like that river through the canal. The current in this part is particularly strong.

"No, no, no, no! Don't you dare!" I scream particularly at nobody and bolt after it, ignoring the stinging on my knees. There will be no end for the smacking I would get if I lose this container.

Unfortunately for me, it makes it to the stone stairs and starts dropping down each step until it reaches the water. It starts drifting immediately – the panic grows. Instead of facing more misfortune, though, with a few strides, my feet touch the sharp cold water and I reach out for the object floating away. Goosebumps and shudders cover my body from feeling a numbness spreading below my knees, but even so, a relieved sigh comes out of my mouth.

_Got it! _

Already in the water, I push the container down so that the liquid pours in. I watch, pushing away my bangs and soaking my forehead with it. The cold feels refreshing, and I splatter some more while keeping the hold on the container with one hand.

However, every peaceful moment and feeling always comes to an end.

As I am about to reach out for more water to wash my sweaty face, I freeze from the sight of red trails on the shining surface of my reflection. It's startling, but I immediately dread where it is from. My fingers are already under the water and the red moves with the liquid around them. If my eyes weren't wide open and frozen to stare down at the sight, I wouldn't be able to differentiate anything wrong in the water. It feels cold, just like it has always been.

Immediately, I pull my hand away and run back to the shore, water splattering around me, soaking the hem of my kimono. When I look back down, both the water and color red have stained the light fabric. The blood drains from my face.

The container's weight has doubled since adding water into it. But now that I am standing on slippery rocks of the stairs, the amount grows and the thing slips from my hands, clattering and emptying itself on the ground. Still, I remain as stiff as a rod and feel how the beats of my heart quicken their rhythm. Finally, those drumming sounds fill my ears and my gaze slowly follows the trail of crimson. It is like watching oil trying to mix in together with water.

I suddenly feel cold and it has nothing to do with how I almost took a dip in the river.

People are starting to gather upon a bridge and the edges of the river as if also noticing the strange shift in the mass of water. The whispers and gasps barely reach my ears, though.

_Blood. _

Something is coming down from the stream. It is the very source of the red color staining the water and now my clothes. It isn't nearly as small as the container, but rather large and that is why the river moves it forward at a slow pace. But despite the sensation of coldness and nausea in the deepest part of my gut, I wish for a moment that the _thing _would flow down faster so that I could take a closer look at _it_.

Even from the distance, the amount of red seeping from the lump floating in the water is enormous. I could tell what it is from a single glance, but my mind remains in a healthy – I think it's healthy – denial. Truly, I think I am even pretty calm on the outside… _but why are my hands trembling? _

Unlike what someone would expect, I do not start screaming – the voice is stuck in my throat. I also am not losing my consciousness and fainting – I am too numb, to begin with.

Floating in the water is a mutilated corpse.


	2. Chapter 2: Locked away

_Those who break the rules are scum,_

_but those who abandon their friends_

_are worse than scum_

_-Hatake Kakashi _

* * *

_Fleeting Sakura Arc_

_Chapter 2:_

_Locked away _

* * *

_**Please… no more. **_

_The room is large, enough to fill in a small house and have rooms for every occupant. Even if most of it is made out of cold and hard stone, the walls hovering above tall and imposing, the matted-out straw should be enough to make it somewhat comfortable… if it was fresh. _

_It is impossible to tell the time without a proper window – there are only torches on the other side of thick metal bars – but space ran out a long time ago. She is not alone in this moist and humid aired space. People, of all size and color – children, elderly, adults – surround her with their body heat. It is one good thing about this place. No matter how cold the ground or air becomes, there is someone in every direction who can share their warmth.  
_

_The worst part is the smell. _

_The body fluids have mixed in every corner, no matter how much they pile up, nobody comes to clean. No matter how much eyes water from the odor, those inside the box-like prison have no way of doing anything for it. Everyone in here endures, day after day, or an hour after hour, depending on how strong lifeforce they have. Or until someone snuffs it out from mere rage. _

_She shows no emotion. Frankly speaking, she doesn't dare to. It is not optional in this place. A person could see another one smiling emptily and tear them apart. A small wrong gesture or act will cause many to break out in annoyance from days of sitting behind locked bars. They are al hungry, reduced to animals who are fighting for space.  
_

_She is watching the result of this microworld, since the day she was thrown into this hell. _

_**When can I get out? **_

_Red spots and lines frame each stone on the ground, reaching for the tips of her toes of her feet drawn closer to her chest. Those dark lines are near, but so far. They froze some while back, but again she can't be sure of the time. _

_Her gaze rises to the source of those splatters.  
_

_There was once a book she read. When a human is exposed to a sudden and unexpected stimulus, they react to it. But after witnessing or becoming familiar to the new sight, sensation or even a sound, their brains familiarize it and the reactions make a turn to passiveness. She can't exactly remember what this phenomenon is called, but that is what is probably happening to her. _

_Even when there is a corpse laying just out of reach, most of the limbs stripped off the meat that once surrounded them, she doesn't even blink. The smell isn't any different from usual, too… or is it all in her head? _

"_N-no! Please! Don't!"_

_Nobody reacts. Anyone who knows that it makes no difference in here doesn't lift an eye. However, whatever it is that gives her the strength, she lifts her line of view towards the other end of the prison, to the very door into the room, which lays open, as two people walk through it. The last one is struggling, crying and reaching out, as if this place smelling of every possible dirt in the world is better than the outside. They aren't wrong, though. _

"_Someone! Please help! No!" It is a woman. She is being pulled out by a guard, eyes wide and raw from tears pooling out, framed by her greasy long hair, face pale like a ghost. _

_Again, for some unknown reason, their eyes meet. Both freeze together with the time. _

_If this woman had been smart, she would have crawled to the back where the motionless one is sitting with her knees drawn together. This is one spot where not even those wearing armor would have the guts to pull someone out of – the corner for the broken. _

_Whether it is from pure sadistic nature or from the position where one can humiliate another, anyone who screams or shows a sign of life is pulled out of here. Sometimes, when someone is brought out, they return even more broken, but other times this means that there will be more room for others… the latter is usually the preferable option. _

_She is clearly new. Her features are not as lifeless and pale as the others'. Again, there is that scream of hers, her reaction is full of fear and panic, emotions that have mostly been forgotten in this place. There is also that one other difference between the struggling woman and the other ones – her clothes have not yet been torn. _

_When their eyes meet, emotion sparks within her chest. It is surprising and causes her to almost flinch. _

_"Please," the plea is small and cracks, as thin fingers barely hold on to the side of the metal bars, "h-help me."_

_There was once a time when she screamed those words until her throat was raw… but nobody came to help. _

_The ragged clothes, the bruises around her arms and legs are the proof. _

_The metal bars close once more. The screams echo against the walls. _

* * *

_Blood._

It is really part of some twisted, sick humor when I think about it. The only thing I have ever really thought about while walking through this one familiar street is how the stew would be prepared at the house.

Now, I am more concerned about covering the bloody stains on my clothes. The water has not dried up, nor the red color.

_Dripping down, flowing down the river. Red trailing, twisting the stream – _

Everything is deadly silent. The reason is understandable, but it does not take off the edge. I feel suffocated, unable to think properly. It is as if every eye around me is watching, their judging and disturbed gazes burning my skull. Even while having a cloth wrapped around my waist – courtesy of Genji – I feel transparent. Anyone could see what I am covered in under this extra fabric. And no matter what mantra I keep on chanting in my head, I don't seem to calm down.

No matter whether somebody sees the blood or not, my general expression must be much more startling; the way I nearly stagger forward at every small step is alarming. The cold water hasn't stopped numbing my unstable feet. There is definitely no color or shade left on my face, as well. _Things could be worse, _is what I try thinking, but the thought shrinks every time the images from the river come literally flooding back. Again, I feel sick down to my gut and almost trip. _D-don't think about it. I didn't see anything. Nothing. Nope. Zero. _

Finally, my home is in sight. But contrary to feeling relief, my limbs nearly freeze all over. _I am… fine, right? _My eyes go down to the covered hem, unconsciously tightening my hands into clenched fists. They are trembling. _The blood… _I close my eyes, shudder to move across my spine. The bile I have been holding back is starting to rise.

Once more hobbling forward, I end up finally going through the door. _S-safe. _The familiar smell of dust and powder is not as welcoming, as I had thought. It can't wash away the sense of dread in my chest or the horrible images of a floating corpse from my brain.

Because it is still early in the day, there is a familiar bundle laying in the corner of the small room. The food has not even been prepared, but that is better for me – I would have no appetite. _She is asleep… thank god. _I nearly collapse down, breathing unevenly, like I just ran and not walked through town to here. My fingers tremble, as I reach out for a fresh set of clothes. The old robes fall off clumsily, but it brings a sense of relief – the stained ones are off.

Sophie groans and turns, mumbling something incoherent under her breath but doesn't stir awake. "N-no… don't wanna… pork."

If it were any other day, any other time, I would snort and decide to make fun of her later on. However, that is not the case and I wrap another set of clothes around me. It is the warmest one I own but does little to settle down the chill in my bones. I hug myself, swallowing thickly and closing my eyes tightly. _It wasn't real. _What I saw today wasn't real or any of my business. Murders happen in this place more than we could know – I am sure of it. This is a lawless area. But I do not think I have ever seen a corpse just like that. And just when I had to go and pick up more water…

Again, I shudder and wrap my arms around myself, bringing my knees closer to my chest. This is my house. Nobody can come here and hurt me. I have Sophie sleeping here, but I am not alone…

_Why is it so cold, though? _

* * *

"Don't go to work."

"You can't be serious, Mira-san!" Sophie is fuming, hands balled into fists at her sides. There is a very deep frown on her features, cracking the otherwise smooth powder ground out of chalk covering her natural color. Frankly, it looks ridiculous, but I hold back that comment – the blond is upset enough as it is.

Hisana and I exchange glances, silently wondering what to do with this situation. I am adamant, though, so I do not appear as troubled as the young girl. Rather, I also have a frown on my face and arms crossed across my chest in defiance. We are both displeased, stubborn even, and have been like this for the past hour or so.

"Actually, I can and am," I say with chin lifted up. "Listen to your elders, for heaven's sake."

"Did you not just the other day call yourself a five-year-old in an adult's body?"

"I did?" My eyebrow lifts as I pretend to think, but then it drops, and I give my housemate a deadpan stare. "Don't remember."

"Hisana-chan," Sophie sighs and turns towards the black-haired girl in desperation, gesturing at me. "Do something!"

She doesn't even blink before giving her a soft expression. "It may be best if you refrained from going to work. We still have enough saves to manage with my and Mira-san's payments alone."

Brown eyes widen and I grin in triumph from seeing the dejected expression. And as if sensing the sudden good mood even through the thickness of her bangs, Sophie raises her head. Her gaze is sharp and full of annoyance while mine is that of a very satisfied individual's. Of course, she can't be angry with Hisana, so her full hatred is directed at me only. _This is all for your own good. _She is clearly ticked off but bites down her tongue. It is nearly time to sleep, after all. None of us want to wake up our sleepy and grumpy neighbors.

Still, the blond continues grinding her teeth, hands clenching around the fabric of her sleeves. It isn't the fancy one, though. The pattern of orange dots on purple is but another simple design. Still, she likes this kimono and has already painted her face and put up her hair. No matter what her profession in the streets has made her into or how badly it sometimes has gone, she has taken pride in making herself ready. To earn money the only way she knows how is what has kept her alive to this point. To suddenly demand it to stop for a period of time is upsetting. Her mind has always been settled on earning her keep. Being bossed around doesn't suit Sophie's character.

"Please, Sophie-san," Hisana speaks, voice almost like a whisper. Large eyes twinkling with genuine emotions. "I do not want you to get hurt."

_That_ is enough to make the emotional mask crack down. The middle-eldest of this household falters, angry face fading into a troubled one. Neither of the two of us could ever say annoyed or determined from seeing the kind of expression the dark-haired girl is wearing.

"B-but the money," she insists, eyes dropping down to the ground.

"I don't think that three to four days break from your budget is going to make us helpless," I comment off-handedly.

"… There was a new kimono on display today."

My eye twitches, incredulous. "Is that what this is all about?"

"What else should it be?"

"You have stolen a few things once and twice – you can do the same with that piece of fabric, too."

"Do you want me to get bruises?"

"If it is the stand owned by that old lady, you will be fine."

"She threw rocks at me last time!"

"And you lived!"

"Shh! Please keep it down," Hisana hushes both of us into silence.

Finally, despite me and Sophie sending glances at one another tersely, all of us settle down to our own spots in the small house. I do not like the silence, though. It only keeps on nagging me about the situation, of why I and my youngest housemate wish for the blond to remain here. The darkness in the room only brings bad memories to the surface and I curl a thin blanket tightly around me – they are memories that still smell of blood.

None of my two friends know what really happened – how my clothes became soaked and how I discovered the body. The details have been left out, but it all comes down to the fact that I have witnessed the aftermath of a murder scene. Telling this to them has only brought uneasiness, even if they weren't there to see the same sight. The description I gave must have been staggering, at least to Hisana. Sophie has adamantly stayed the calmest out of the three of us. It is slightly infuriating.

"Fine, we will settle this _now_," I say and scoot over to her side of the room.

Sophie's light-colored head moves up from its laying position. "Two?"

"Three," I state and raise my fist. A second later other hovers next to mine.

"Rock, paper, scissors!"

* * *

It is an unusually hot day. The air is dry, the dirt on the ground keeps on rising with small puffs of dust every second a foot steps on it. Many have dragged whatever water they can and are even splashing themselves with it in plain sight for everyone to see. Not that any understands why. Barely anyone has the strength to come out of their houses like usually during this time. I would like to be one of those people, but…

I am currently standing in the middle of heat filled road, suffering from the temperature and smell of wasting food. Between the two, I have no idea which one wants to make me slump down to the ground.

"Yo! The usual?" The seller is under a near shade, fanning himself with cardboard. I have been staring at it, kind of envious of the small cooling breeze he receives.

A line of vegetables is on display. The only issue is that it looks far worse from the typical sight. Dark spots are covering them. Others are small and look like life has been sucked from them. As a cherry on top, the smell is overwhelming, and I have to cover my nose. Despite always being the cheapest things, you could see, that at least they haven't made me want to puke, until now.

"Hey, old man, these look like shit."

"Oi! These were handpicked by yours truly only today! Don't go slandering my merchandise with one glance!"

My nose wrinkles from instinct. "I don't need to see to smell, you know."

"They don't smell any different. The sun is just messing with everyone's heads today."

_Basically, nobody has bought from you. _I nearly let my mouth run again but focus down on what could possibly suffice as dinner. "I will take those carrots."

"Not cabbage today?" He asks and starts wrapping things up.

I take one glance at the green vegetable and want to shake my head. The leaves have brownish edges and look mushed in the pile together. "No thanks. Here's the money."

The coins landing on his palm spread a wide grin on his face. "Pleasure doing business with you, as always."

I wave my hand and turn around in an exasperated manner. "Yeah, yeah. See you – "

The words dry up on my tongue when a bulky dark form collides with my shorter and meager one. The uncomfortable warmth from the sun has been a nuisance, but now it only doubles the amount of cold sweat pouring down my back. _Oh, crap! _I bite on my tongue, taking a step back from seeing the thunderous look on the stranger's face. Knowing better than to say anything, I try making myself appear as meek as possible.

"Watch where you are going," he sneers out, hand dangerously close to the sword at his hip.

The shopkeeper lets out a small sound of fright and also lowers his head, wishing not to get involved. I silently curse him, still covering in slight fear under the scrunching glare. The man isn't alone, too. More than a couple other men dressed similarly stand just behind him – I do not dare to look at them directly.

Again, they have come to scourge through this town.

"I'm sorry, sir," I say quietly and move to the side, as the group of Soul Reapers cuts through the street. The words taste like ash on my tongue, though. _Jerks. _

No matter why they are here or why they do what they do, nothing could ever be a perfectly good excuse for their rough behavior. No, rather than rough, I would describe the constant surveillance around the clock as a nuisance. No matter where anyone is, most of us in the Rukon District feel watched and threatened. The Soul Reapers just keep on trickling into our territory. Even back at my house, no matter where I look, there is always a flash or solid sight of black fabric and swords.

_They're on the edge. _

I start walking, keeping my pace calm while on the line of sight. As soon as there is a quiet street near, though, I pick up the speed and clutch the groceries. _Those guys grow crazier by the day! _There have been few talks of incidents where they have physically dragged people out of their homes and even beaten them up. I have not witnessed anything like that, yet, but it wouldn't be a surprise if the rumor is true.

This behavior has only been making me paranoid. It all just keeps on bringing up the corpse from the last week – _drifting down the water, crimson staining my clothes._ I have thrown away that same kimono. It must be laying somewhere in a garbage pit for any stray child to discover. _Wait. No, that can't be good. _I cringe from the memory of the rag flying and being discarded. If someone actually finds those clothes, they won't automatically assume they belong to me, right? I nearly scoff – _out of all people in this place, why would I be suspected first? _

"Sir! We have scouted the assigned area, as instructed. Should we move on?"

My feet won't pause, even as a new flock of Soul Reapers appears from behind a corner. Instead, it almost encourages me to walk faster. _Goodness. They're just everywhere._

"Weren't the orders clear the first time?"

The world tilts itself to the side – I actually almost fall over from shock. I have become an immovable rock, for a few mere seconds, the entire world turns deadly silent. From instinct, the grocery basket in my hands nearly slips down.

"N-no, sir. We understand," the hasty reply is slightly panicked, a hint of fear lacing the undertone. It isn't nearly enough to fill the amount of sheer terror building up in me, though.

"Then get to it. You two, follow me."

Funnily, the heat of the mid-day sun isn't as burning as it was moments ago. As a complete opposite, coldness spreads in my veins from the tips of every toe to the peak of my head. Still, my hands are sweaty and faster than I normally could, I whip around and hide behind a corner. _Why is __**he**__ here!? _Every possible limb on my body is trembling from adrenaline and the ends of my long nails sink into the rock wall.

There is no mistaking with that haughty voice or the back of the head covered in long strands of black hair. Even the high ponytail is the same. The sight of it all is excruciating and I back further against the wall, making myself as small as possible. _Why, why, why, why, why is it always me!? _Biting down on the lower lip, I struggle to calm down my wildly beating heart and breathe. The basket becomes useful – I press it against my chest to the breaking point, not minding the stench of other vegetables lingering on the carrots. _What am I supposed to do!? _The house is still far away and now these Soul Reapers are blocking the way. From the looks of it, this group is the kind who question every single visible person who walks past them. It is obvious from how tense the shoulders had appeared. _And if that brat __**leads **__them…_

I shudder and look up to the sky. If he sees and recognizes me… I can only pray he isn't at the age where he can hold a grudge. Even now, my face aches from the memory of him pushing my face together with the rest of my body to the ground. The thought of something worse occurring sends my stomach into knots. _No! I don't want to die!_

Inhaling as deeply as possible, I peek around the corner, making sure that the one I want to avoid is looking the other way. His back remains turned, but that doesn't ease the tension on my shoulders. Here goes nothing –

"You there! Stop!"

Every facial muscle on my face stiffens when one of the Soul Reapers is suddenly walking my way. Inwardly, I scream at him to look away or call out for someone else. That does not happen, though.

"Show what you're carrying," he orders, leaving no room for argument.

Sweating bullets, but not because of him, I comply, holding the basket between us. However, as he inspects what I am holding, I direct my shaky gaze over his shoulder at the object of my fear. The young man hasn't turned around – now if only this older one would let me pass already.

"Ugh! What the hell is this?" He gags, nose wrinkling up from the smell.

"The weather has made most of the market's food go bad, sir. May I take my leave now?" I ask politely, hiding the strain of hurry. Honestly, usually under stressful situations, I would make weak laughs and smiles, but not now. The ground could disappear beneath my feet and I would still be too tense to notice.

From my hopeful question, his expression turns more serious. "No, I still have – "

As if the heavens are against me, another figure approaches. "We were given orders to continue on other parts of the town. Is something the matter here?"

A look of irritation crosses the man's face and he suddenly points at me. "This woman was acting suspiciously. I am merely seeing what her purpose for such behavior is."

_Excuse me? _Incredulous, the ends of my eyebrows knit together, and my mouth opens, but then closes. It is true that I may appear anxious and was lurking around behind the walls, but something about the accuse is truly annoying. He has made me sound like a total creep.

"We don't have time to waste efforts on every single passing individual. Kouren-san, you're too aggressive in your approach – it is no wonder that every person cowers and acts suspicious with you around."

"T-that is…" he is lost for words, flustered.

Truly, I want to smirk, but physically can't. My mind and eyes keep on wandering to the road I should be headed towards to – the one just behind a building ahead and where I will have to cross straight for home. All that is needed is for these two to make up their minds. Thought of making a run for it crosses my mind, but it is smothered in a second. That act would only make me appear more 'suspicious', as the Soul Reaper has put it.

"Oi! You two! What are you loitering about?"

All the hope is drained from me to the very last drop. The basket does slip from my hands this time and falls down to the ground, the pathetic carrots scattering around my feet. _Shit, shit, shit, shit! _I panic, instantly crouching down and gathering the vegetables, keeping my longer bangs in front of my face and head lowered.

_He _approaches strides long. The two men stiffen when the shorter one ends up standing directly in front of them. I mimic their tense postures from my position and start gathering things back up quicker. It is only when every carrot is back in the basket that I notice my elaborate breathing pattern. _This is bad – I need to calm down. _With shaky legs, I shoot up and clutch the basket close to my chest, keeping my head as low as possible. For the second time, I think about running away.

"S-sir, we were just – "

"This part of the town is already under surveillance. We are no longer needed, and the other group will take care of whatever…" the youngest of the men trails off. His pause creates silence and the confusion spreading in the air is very obvious.

"_You_."

The hairs on my body stand up straight and my squared shoulders rise even more till they reach my ears. There is a strange and frightening burning spreading on my head – the feeling of someone's sharp gaze piercing you. The sensation makes me want to crawl into a hole on the ground and let the elements take care of the rest. It seems like my head wasn't ducking down low enough.

A bit shakily, I lift up my gaze. It ends up being one of the things I regret doing in my life. The expression I see on a youthful face is that of the devil. Despite there being a flash of surprise, the two orbs of silver are narrowed, a murderous shadow cast over them by long strands of black hair. The bangs move ominously in the wind.

The spit dries in my mouth.

And then I wave like an idiot.

"H-hello, again."

* * *

"C-c' mon! Is this really necessary!?" The wooden bars don't budge when rattled. I am sweating bullets and the angry frown on my face is just a mask to create confidence.

There is what can only be described as a putrid stench mixed with the stinging smell of human waste covering the wooden walls. What was once light brown surface, is now greasy and rotten looking, greenish mold sticking to the wood. This is what an unused dump would look like. Sadly, it is a run-down temporary 'prison' used to hold in lunatics and people who usually own a bit of money to someone. I admit being none of the two. But the ones standing on the other side of this confinement seem not to have similar ideas.

Even though my armpits are covered in bruises – courtesy of the people who dragged me like a real criminal up here – heart beating inside the ribcage, palms sweaty and lightly trembling against a solid surface, I still have the nerve to glare through the bars at a steely gaze. There is more annoyance than fear brewing, now that I am in this situation.

"Kuchiki-san, does this woman have anything to do with our mission? We… if I may say, would find it more efficient, if she were taken to – "

"Quiet."

"Yes, sir."

_Wow. _I almost wince in pity towards the poor guy. _Some group dynamic. _The shorter boy is in physique inferior to the men around him, but he is replacing that lacking area with the attitude. I am still contemplating whether that is an inspiring notion or plainly mean. The latter is becoming more likely since it is because of his pompous temperament that I am in this situation, to begin with.

However, maybe I can use this pride as an advantage, too.

"You know," I start, carefully leaning back and thanking whoever sculped these thick bars, "I know that throwing mud on someone's face is not extremely civil, but surely you don't have to be mad enough to lock me up into this stinky pit."

His face makes some interesting changes during my short talk. First, it stiffens, then those dark brows of his furrow even more and finally he is glaring daggers at me with a heated glare. If only looks could kill, as people say, then I would be over ten feet under and more. Again, I see the youngster reaching for his hip, where the sword is, and tense up.

The confusion on the other Soul Reaper's faces is obvious. They glance between the murderous aura and my face from between the wooden bars.

"What is she talking about?"

"Throwing mud?"

For a moment, I think of riling him up a little bit just to spite. The sight of light red spreading across pale skin in blotches quirks the corner of my lip up, making it totally worth it that I had opened my mouth. He clearly doesn't want to and hasn't told his comrades what transpired between us a few days ago. That is one thing I could use to get out of here, but…

"I ordered you all to be _silent_," the command comes swiftly through a clenched jaw, causing literally everything in the room flinch. The sight could be almost comical if it weren't for the small detail of him having an aura of the devil. "Leave us."

I tense up for the hundredth time and take a step back without thinking. Those grey eyes are directed at me and only me, burning the front of my face.

"B-but Kuchiki-san – "

"I will interrogate the prisoner myself. _Leave_," he hisses out the last part, straining to keep his composure, or what is left of it.

This time my eyes widen and dart between confused faces in the room, silently begging them not to leave me alone with this kid. He looks positively murderous and I have only spoken only once. My own eyes are watering in frustration from how I can't run-up to the Soul Reapers and hide behind them. I direct this desperate expression towards them. However, nobody seems to be paying any attention to the poor prisoner anymore – something inside of me starts crumbling.

_No, no, no, no, don't leave me alone with this psycho! _

The men trickle out of the cramped room through a narrow door, which is barely hanging onto its hinges. Just like my life, apparently. The way light from the outside pours in could also be depicted with the saying 'light at the end of a tunnel'. Expect, mine doesn't have any, not even a tiny ray. The wood creaks and cracks, as it closes. The cracks on the wallboards let in just enough light for anyone in the shack to see shapes and features. I wish it would just let me be blind, though.

Although the noises of the people from outside the four walls reach just fine the inside space, the air is heavy with tense silence… it's broken soon enough by the sound of cold metal slicing the air.

"You have dared to mock us Soul Reapers," he starts, the tone just as icy as his weapon's gleam. "Not only that but by insulting me, you have brought _dishonor_ on my family name. What have you to say for your crimes?"

"W-w-what? Crimes?" I splutter, incredulous. Many words race through my head in a second and I am ready to throw them all at him, but my throat clamps shut from the sight of the blade.

His eyes narrow dangerously. "Assaulting a Soul Reaper and not complying with the arrest are considered crimes. Unless your peasant mind has ceased working and can't comprehend the severity of this situation."

_Oh, hold on a sec here you arrogant piece of – _

I bite down on my lower lip and inhale deeply. "And _what_ exactly did you do that was so _chivalrous_? I think everyone has their rights for self-defense – whoa! Put that thing away!" The sword has risen up so that it is directly on our eye levels. "I-it was all a misunderstanding, okay?"

"A misunderstanding?" He repeats, but in a menacing manner. The dark fabric of the clothes melts together with the shadows of the shaggy building, the midnight black hair joining it and framing those pale features – a ghoul is standing just on the other side of these wooden bars.

I manage to nod my head even as cold chill shoots down my spine. This is only one shorter young boy so why do I feel like backing away further into this stinky room? "Y-yeah. A misunderstanding – you thought I was a thief; I thought you were trying to kill me."

"And that is your excuse for retaliating?"

"Ugh," I cringe from the question, finding his voice dropping the otherwise smothering temperature of my cell by a few degrees. "L-look, I was scared and confused (a bit annoyed, too) and didn't know what to do, so," I can't believe I am begging from this brat again, "please don't kill me!"

"Whatever excuse you have, it does not change the fact that you tried providing false information on the suspect we are searching. Do you have any idea what kind of serious offense that is?"

"O-of course not! I swear it! I never would have done so, if I knew that to be an actual law!" The more I stare at the weapon in his tight grip, the greater the level of panic in my gut gathers up. The Soul Reaper looks seconds away from snapping. _Crap! Crap! Crap! _

The boy clicks his tongue, frown creating deep marring lines on his youthful face. "Do you take me for a fool?"

"Y-e – no."

Whether he believes me or not, it doesn't show. "I bet that this encounter had something to do with insulting me further."

I shake my head, already anticipating what his way of thinking would end up giving me. "I was only minding my own business and going straight home. Honest! There are people back at home who are waiting for me to come back, so please can you let this slide?"

"Is this as honest as your so claimed 'information' from the last time?" The question is, once more, sharp and I wince.

_He got you there._

_Shut up, consciousness. _

The back of my throat is tight, a lump forming at a rapid pace, as a response struggles to come through. It's infuriating – I start thinking that he is in the right for doubting me. Just like a parent who has been faced with an infuriatingly right point from their cheeky kid.

"Judging by your silence," his voice deepens with accusing he is not willing to hide, "I take it that you – "

_No! _He will definitely start planning on chopping off a head if nothing stops him.

For the first time in many years, I do something that is not regular for me. I wouldn't want to do this no matter who it would be, but I lower my body till my knees touch the ground and bow down deeply. Whatever other nasty substance the dirt beneath my body is mixed with – _don't think about it_ – I grit my teeth and bear with it. Truthfully, together with the fear of being sliced in half, I am also fearful of how this entire thing will affect my two housemates. The groceries have been placed on the side, on the other side of these bars and lay just within my reach. It is a reminder to whom I have to hurry back to.

Neither Hisana nor Sophie had been the ones who had made a fuss of the recent murder. But still, the idea of worrying them clenches my gut to the point it is painful – the thought of staying in this place for one night is also disturbing. There is no way I could stay in this smelly cell for that long. _Think about Hisana-chan and Sophie-chan… do this for them! _The screaming thought does make me feel a bit better, but my nose wrinkles from the smell waffling into my nostrils. The stench is worse on the lower level, it seems.

I raise my head, looking between the wood at the straw sandals with white socks in determination. Everyone has a weak spot and I think I know what this one is. _Here goes nothing. _The most pleading voice I have ever heard passes from my lips.

"Please! Forgive me! I am just an uneducated woman from a low-born background and had no idea of the importance you hold!"

My forehead meets with the ground for another deep bow. The time moves forward slowly. There is nothing in here to tell if minutes or seconds have passed by. For a moment, I am hoping that the other Soul Reapers on the outside will think it has been too long since they left this hut and step in to intervene. However, nothing like that happens and I continue keeping myself as low as possible. My skull burns, definitely from the glare the top of my head is receiving from the boy.

And then, there is a deep 'hm' and the ear-scratching sound of a sword being sheathed. These two noises bring both relief and anticipation. Although, so far as I have seen this boy's character, I am expecting…

"Woman, raise your head."

I do so, hesitantly, but gradually managing to level my eyes so that I am staring at his chin. The sword is not being pointed at me anymore, so that is a good sign. And feeling even more relief only raises my gaze further up to Soul Reaper.

He has regained his cool.

"You swear to not have any information regarding Akemichi Kumotetsu?"

_Again, that name. _I almost frown but keep my expression as humble as possible. "Yes, sir."

Kuchiki tilts his chin up sharply, looking down at me even further. "And I trust you won't be causing any trouble for my fellow comrades in the future?"

_I only ever will cause trouble to you, it seems. Brat. _

"Yes, sir."

"Then, since you have confessed your wrongdoings…" he starts, and I nearly snort. This boy really is the kind to go for groveling and flattery too easily. "Your only punishment will be staying in here till sundown. I will have you reside in here until then."

Without realizing it, my shoulders slump down and I limply lower my head back to the ground. I am thankful to whatever god has been on my side today. I would only need to – _wait. What? _As if snapped out of a pleasant dream, my head shoots up, eyes wide. The smell hits me for the second time and I cringe in both horror and repulsion.

This place literally stinks like a garbage pit that has been left into the scorching desert. And I am expected to stay here for hours until the piece of a sky has decided to settle down? The thought of being sliced down in this place was bad enough, but by the time the release will come, I will be already covered in this place's stench. After that, even those that know me will start avoiding me and, in the end… I will become the town's loner.

_NOOOO! I DON'T WANT THIS!_

The words fly out of my mouth without a second thought. "W-wait! You can't be serious about leaving me in here!"

"Huh?" He is already at the door when I yell out. The air seems to have stilled from the raise of voice, but his quieter questioning sound only intensifies the tension. The boy doesn't even turn around – merely twists his neck to glance back – and the act stiffens the bones.

The back of my throat clamps shut, no sound of defiance escaping for the second time. I am reminded again of the authority he has here, despite appearing much younger than me. The sword at his hip is particularly one of them and another cold chill slides down my back.

The next words that form on my lips are forced out. "N-nothing. T-thank you very much."

However, the second the door is closed, and everything falls still, I regret not standing up to myself more.

If there is anything I hate in this world, it's being inside closed spaces.

* * *

By the time I am out of the miniature confinement, the sun has truly set down… and I am covered in the worst smell humanly possible. There are fewer people out compared to daytime – thank god for that – but that still doesn't stop some making cringe-like faces whenever I pass by. That is saying a lot, considering how low this place's hygiene level is, to begin with. The smell of the rotten vegetables from before was nothing compared to me now. Even the carrots in my basket have a better aroma.

Still, even amongst the shame-filled flush covering my face, I barely manage to hold in my anger. Every time I make a turn, see a flash of dark-colored hair or colored clothes, the pale face of the very reason for my state pops into my head. _That boisterous, arrogant, spoiled, sniveling brat of a… _bunch of colorful language is streaming through the mind and my fingers clench the handle of the basket. However, this is the only one I have, so it takes a lot of effort to loosen the hold of my grip, all the while gritting my teeth together to the point where it is painful.

I want to punch something – _someone_.

But of course, this is only one side of concerns. The very second, I step into my house and announce my arrival, both Hisana and Sophie shoot up from next to the fireplace. They have frowns on their faces, but once seeing me and smelling the stench sticking to my clothes – their noses wrinkle – the expressions change to incredulousness.

"Mi-mira-san?" Hisana asks faintly, as if not believing her eyes, covering the lower part of her face.

The blonde woman next to her looks ready to open her mouth as well, but I hold up my hand. "Please… don't say anything. I know, I _stink _and am quite late, but… here are some carrots. They were the only good ones today."

"Forget about the damn vegetables! The heck were you doing!?" Sophie explodes and marches forward, only to recoil and cover her nose. "Ugh! Whad dhe hell?"

"You're…" the black-haired girl starts but then bolts towards a jar full of our water supply. Without explaining or waiting for questions, she pours some on a smaller container and picks it up. "Mira-san, please take off your clothes. I think we can wash most of the smell off."

"Wha – hold it, Hisana-chan! There is no need to waste the drinking water – I will go and bathe in the river." I place the basket down in a hurry and am about to go back out when a hand grabs my shoulder with an almost bruising grip.

It's Sophie, still squeezing her nose shut. The action causes a nasal tone to flow out of her mouth. "Don'd go. Id iz darg."

"Who is the eldest here? I will be fine."

The answer seems to annoy her rather than cause concern. "You loog horrible."

It may be because I am tired, the hold she has on my shoulder reminds how those Soul Reapers who dragged me to that stinky cell or that I am still fuming from that one brat's order to lock me up – I end up shrugging her hand off roughly. Her narrowed eyes widen slightly as a frown tugs the corners of my lips down in irritation.

"And you sound funny."

"Don't worry," Hisana cuts in before the two of us can continue heated glaring. "This amount won't do us any harm."

"Nor any good. There is no way that mere water can wash off this smell," the blonde takes a step back and fans the air with her hands.

If I had any energy to dramatics, I would pretend to be insulted, but instead a: "Shut up," comes out instead. "I am serious about bathing in the river. There is no way any of us can sleep with this smell waffling off me."

Large purple eyes cast down to my legs and back up to the top of my head. "Still, at least let me come with you. We have discussed how dangerous it is outside – "

Sophie clicks her tongue. "Like it never has been."

"And the river is not close to this place, too," Hisana finishes softly, looking thoughtful for a moment, before looking back up into my eyes. "I wouldn't truly want to see you get hurt, Mira-san. I think… we could make it through the night, even if you did not get yourself cleaned."

The earnestness in her gaze swells something in my chest – I am moved and for a moment forget the horrid smell and reason for my snappy mood. After being manhandled earlier and afraid of losing my life, this kind of concern is just what I need…

"Hisana-chan, honey," the middle oldest of us three shakes her head, breaking the warm atmosphere, "you aren't convincing anyone that we will be okay after this night. This one will need two liters of perfume and lotions before she and I will sleep under the same roof," she finishes with a shake of her head and walks over to roll up a straw mat. "Until then, you two will find me at Keisuke-kun's place."

"S-sophie-san, you can't mean that," the youngest whispers and watches in disbelief at the taller woman as she stands up.

Honestly, I am pretty shocked by the declaration, too. And a bit hurt. There wasn't really that much hope to the possibility that anyone could stand a few feet distance away from me, but hope is hope and it has now been crushed. The fact that this is all coming from someone I consider a friend is even worse. These emotions must be plainly and painfully obvious because Sophie's gaze softens a tad bit when our eyes meet.

"Sorry, Mira-san. Got my own priorities. Can't take on any clients, if they can't even _breathe_."

Again, whatever form of irritations I have felt, it fades. Even though she won't take any night-time jobs, for a while at least, that doesn't mean that she has stopped working. No matter what kind of job she does, and no matter how low the standards are, Sophie is a workaholic through and through. If she does not earn money, she would grow restless. Thinking it like this makes me feel a lot less hurt. _I am not sure if I wanted to stand next to me right now either.  
_

"It's already dark outside, didn't you also say so yourself? Let's think this through one more time, please."

"What's there to think about? Anyhow, Mira-san," Sophie turns to me sharply. "What in the world happened?"

I stiffen, eyes unconsciously moving down to the basket near my feet. The other two pairs of eyes follow and also settle on the pitiful object. The dried-up ends of the carrots barely stand out from the bottom.

"I kind of…" g_ot myself thrown into town's 'make-shift' jail by the same boy who mangled me earlier this week, _"fell into the garbage pit?"

There are two faces that form from this explanation. One is that of pure surprise and worry. The other merely exasperation and doubt. The latter's owner is easier to guess.

"The garbage pit… really? The very same at the edge of this district where you could have no business in whatsoever?" Brown eyes gleam with suspicion, narrowing dangerously and appearing ready to make the real reason rise up to the surface.

"Genji-san asked me to run some errands by the end of the day."

"Yeah, right. We both know you would have sooner told him to do that himself or pay. I don't see any extra cash."

I blink my eyes as innocently as possible, taking a step forward and enjoying the way she flinches. Her nose wrinkles again. "Since when would I lie to two of you?"

"Gaah! Don't come closer!"

"Sophie-san!"

Hisana, the ever so gentle soul, tries persuading our roommate to consider her choices. She obviously also finds her words a bit too crude and slightly even scolds Sophie for this – the latter is surprising, from a soft temperament you wouldn't expect too much protest. For the second time, I am moved by her goodwill and desire not to make me any more ashamed or uncomfortable.

It is such a pity, that by looking at the back of the dark-haired girl, I am reminded of that one arrogant brat. The expression of haughtiness he wore hasn't faded from the memory. And even now it sours my mood back down to the level where I felt painful stab to the heart from Sophie's blunt words. I am suffering too, is what I almost want to speak up in the middle the conversation before me – the smell has been with me for hours now. Thinking these only keep on gathering dark imagery clouds on top of my head.

In the end, half of what the two's talk falls to deaf ears. I end up watching like there is a bunch of bees buzzing inside my ears and only manage to hear a small bye for the night from Sophie, as she walks through the door and disappears from sight. A bit worried and feeling slight guilt – for some reason – I hurry to the window and pull open the curtain. The sight of the soles of her feet peeks from behind a corner before they are gone. The house she plans on staying for tonight, at least, is not far, but…

As if worried about the same thing, Hisana comes to the window, as well, and looks out into the dark streets. Her dark eyebrows are drawn into a frown, but when she sees the expression on my face hers softens. Even while the smell is still clinging to me, she doesn't back away. _She's more worried than me._

"Mira-san, I am sure that Sophie didn't mean to – "

"Hisana-chan, can you do me a favor in the future?"

"Huh?" Large purplish eyes – like dark onyx in this light – blink. Her next words are pronounced in a confused manner. "Yes, what is it?"

"Can you please make sure that your future husband will get manners disciplined into him?"

"…Eh?"

"Otherwise, I think I will end up _strangling_ him."

* * *

"A-achoo!"

It is undignified, so utterly embarrassing for him to sneeze just when he is about to have some tea time with his grandfather. The hot liquid in his cup splashes, nearly falling down against the sides and down to his fingers.

Ginrei raises his steely grey eyes from his own cup to see his grandson's sour expression. "If you are coming down with a cold, you should retire to bed early, Byakuya."

A bit flustered, the young boy straightens his posture and clears his throat. "Thank you, but there is no need for concern – I do not feel ill."

The elder man looks down at his drink, acknowledging his answer and the two continue dwelling in their silence. It is not uncomfortable one – this is mostly how they spend this kind of time together. If there is something to talk of, one would open his mouth for a conversation that could last for lengthy periods. Since the young Kuchiki started his duties as a true Soul Reaper, he truly hasn't run out of things to speak of or ask from his grandparent regarding his new position.

_Until now, _Ginrei muses silently in his mind and sets down his cup. The door to the gardens has been left open, so a pleasant night breeze moves in and has them both glance at the scenery. The older man truly expected to have an hour-long conversation tonight, but that hasn't happened. So, he is left to wonder what has occupied his successor's mind.

The black-haired youth is unaware of the thoughts running through Ginrei's mind, as well. It is very unlikely of him, especially when a hint of smile nearly twitches the corners of his lips up. He keeps on recalling today's events and the memories bring sweet satisfaction. It servers that woman right, is what mostly echoes in his skull.

Byakuya hasn't forgotten the look of utter shock and repulsion on the brunette's face when he had closed that run-down door behind him. He hasn't even thought of what the others of his group would think or if they question him later for his actions. Rather, he doesn't much dwell on those facts and lets the fulfillment spread all over his body. This is the enigma which has caused him a headache and made his head boil in utter shame for a few days now, but today that all has been lifted from his shoulders. The moments he spends gritting his teeth and clutching his sword tightly in a death grip are over.

The events weren't planned. Of course, he had been half-searching for the same woman who had thrown dirt on his face – which could be considered a feat towards someone trained in martial arts and so humiliating for him – but today's meeting had been a shock. For all the incompetence his subordinate has, for once he had made a smart move to have spotted her in that one street.

Truly, he had been beyond angry – seething – but as soon as she had lowered that head of hers to the ground, admitting her fault in utter panic, had made this emotion shimmer down. Instead, he had wanted to smirk down at her in victory and watch her grovel just a bit longer…

Unknown to Byakuya, his thoughts have started to show outwardly and gained the attention of grandfather.

"Is something amusing?"

As if woken up, the large grey eyes widen and blink. "Ah – n-no, not really. No," he ends lamely and clears his throat for the second time. "I was merely thinking of today's mission."

"I see. Then, what was it that happened?"

Not having been thinking through what to actually tell him, Byakuya momentarily stiffens but then places on a calm mask. The tea in his cup hasn't stopped steaming and he takes a sip. "May I ask how your health is fairing, jii-sama?"

The question is innocent and what he usually even asks. Ginrei doesn't even blink from hearing it. To any outsider, his unmoving face betrays nothing, but to the grandson, there is a shift in his ancient grey gaze. It isn't sharp, but not soft either – a gaze full of thoughts. Finally, though, those two orbs close behind his eyelids.

"I am feeling quite well," the elder man finally answers evenly and places the tea down on a wooden tray. A second breeze fills the room, moving the strands of long grey hair. "I think that the doors have been open for long enough."

_Could you close them? _

Byakuya places his own drink aside and stands up swiftly, moving just as smoothly towards the screen doors, watching the stone garden, the wall further away and the bright night sky above it the whole time. This is part of their routine. The rest of the conversation would continue after these doors would be sealed shut.

Somehow, he knows where this is going. Whatever they are going to be talking about brings him pride, fear, and nervousness all at once. These may as well be reasons why he nearly hesitates to close these doors. He doesn't dare to glance back at his grandfather, the one who doesn't sit neatly wearing his captain's uniform anymore and the one whose features appear to be paling day by day.

* * *

I am pouting.

If the girl next to me was anything like those smart-ass kids, she would point out how childishly I am acting for my age. Luckily, Hisana is nothing like that and merely watches my back while I stare at the wall, a frown knitting the eyebrows together and puffy cheeks rounding up the edges. I am not in a bad mood, but I am not feeling too great either.

The reason being only a few feet away – there is an empty spot in the corner next to a small desk piled with cheap makeup and bottles of equally poor perfumes. Sophie hasn't returned yet. We woke up and she wasn't there, which proves that she did truly abandon us for the night. Or more like fled, imaginary tail between her legs.

The stench hasn't been lifted. Changing the clothes – and throwing those rags out – somewhat helped. But the second thing it has been clinging to is my hair. The smell isn't waffling around, but if someone comes too close, there is no doubt that they catch the rotten odor. Surprisingly, that is the least of my problems.

"She will throw a fit," I nod my head once and raise one of the containers for the scented ointments. The jar is made out of cheap wood, but what it contains is far more valuable. This is one of the best that the blonde roommate of mine owns – she always gets her hands on these. I start opening it.

"Mira-san, I do not think this is wise," Hisana finally speaks up her mind and sits next to me with a small frown. "Sophie-san treasures that."

"And she always says this comes cheaply for her," I say calmly and take a sniff of the whitish paste at the bottom. A flowery fragrance replaces the disgusting smell that has been filling my nostrils since last night.

"This is not for the purpose of…" she doesn't finish, leaving the answering for me.

"Yup," I pop the 'p' and scoop up some of the ointment, smearing it across my neck and lower jaw before continuing the same process up to my cheeks. "Those who abandon the battlefield will be _punished_."

Hisana tilts her head, an expression of loss on her face. "The battlefield?"

"Yes, the battlefield – leaving just like that. At least you stayed," the last part is muttered out in my irritation. The white paste feels cool against the otherwise flushed and sweaty skin. The sun has only recently risen, but the air is already dry, just like yesterday.

As I am finishing – the container is half-empty now – and placing the scented ointment down, a small hand is placed on my shoulder. Unconsciously, I relax and look back at Hisana's large innocent eyes with a pout. She returns this expression with a small smile and reaches out with a ragged cloth to tap the excess paste off.

"I can make some rice balls tonight. So, please, do not be upset with Sophie-san."

"I am not upset with her," I say, speaking half of the truth. "I just feel like poking a bear with a stick for the fun of it."

For the second time, she looks confused by the unfamiliar expression. The sight of her perplexed face is both amusing and adorably innocent that a first grin today spreads on my lips. I am about to explain the words in more detail, but our small moment is broken by a racket that suddenly rises up from the outside. Both of us stiffen, whipping towards the door. I, particularly, am up on my feet in a second and heading out.

There are muffled screams.

"Mira-san! Wait!" Hisana is scrambling up after when I am already out of the door.

I do not stop to wait but immediately head towards a crowd of people filling most of our street. The sight is both strange and alarming. From one glance, I can even see that there are those that I am not familiar with, from this same area, in that one mass. It is like watching a mob forming in one night in your yard, but the most frightening thing is the sounds. The noise of people speaking low under their breaths to each other and then those sounds being drowned by loud yells.

The closer I get, the slower my quick steps become until I stop just a few feet away. Whatever they are all gathered up for, those screams only tell me that someone is in trouble. And no matter how brutal these streets can at times be, in this area, rarely anyone makes a scene like the one right now. But nobody is making a move to further bring the crowd closer to whatever they are looking at.

My heart is pounding – I blame it on the sudden run I took. Sweat trails down my back, the smell of the ointment and stench from yesterday suffocate my lungs.

I move forward, full of curiosity, but keeping my movements wary. Every person stands with a slight distance to another, which gives me a spot to squeeze a way through. It is not pleasant, especially, when the atmosphere is tense and nobody else is moving like me. I recognize the emotions on their faces, explaining the motionlessness. There is fear, nervousness, pity…

"The heck you doing!? I said to let go!" Again, there are screams, but this time they are clear and close.

"You can't do this to us!"

"Somebody help!"

Finally, I break through the crowd and end up stumbling to a scene which jolts my bones. The Soul Reapers are gathered together, the movement of the dark fabric of their uniforms contrasting with the plain background of the town. They all have an either blank or simple annoyed expression on while glaring down at the row of what is clearly a bunch of ordinary townsfolk tied up with ropes connecting them to each other. They are all kneeling on the dusty ground, looking up at the ones who are obviously the cause of their state. Few even have obvious signs of struggle from the disarray of clothes and hair to the slight reddening spots on their faces.

It is like watching an execution field from a front-row seat. Everything – the houses, the air, the sky, and the people – is miserable. The way the men in black hold their swords in broad daylight for anyone to see does not lessen the tension. A small misstep could make something in the air snap, like a mirror on the edge of a drawer, ready to fall and crack.

I am petrified. It feels as if my heart stops beating for a small, insignificant second.

They all look so pitiful. Especially those with desperate and anxious tears – either fresh or dried up on their skin – coming out of their eyes. One pair, in particular, is what ceases my lungs' functions.

Sophie is there, her kimono loosely falling around her form, but still providing modesty. She is definitely one of those who had fought with nails and teeth, but that strange form of courage has faded now that she is at a disadvantage. The strands of her light hair have been gathered up into a loose ponytail, which is messy, and strands of loose strands fall over her sweaty face – no, she has been crying.

As if feeling my stare and recognizing it from hundreds of others around her, bloodshot dark brown eyes lift up and meet my grey ones. All the noise buzzing inside my ears ceases and it is only the two of us.

"_Help me."_ Her mouth moves, but no sound reaches me. The meaning isn't lost, though. Her expression tells me everything there is to know. She is frightened.

One of the Soul Reapers steps in front of her, blocking my view of that desperate gaze. He, along with the others, starts ordering the line to stand up and move. Cries rise up from the victims, they struggle and are kicked to create order or from simply retaliating. The bottom line is that they are all either crying to be released or somebody from the crowd to help them.

_Ignore. _

At my sides, both of my limp hands are trembling. The feet that had previously stumbled from out of a sea of people are now firmly rooted to the ground. Whatever factor is affecting my body, it is numbing every part of it from the tips of my toes to the top of my head.

_Do not get involved. _

_Sophie-chan is there. _

Dust clings to her scraped knees, as she is forced to stand up. All the while, the flash of her terrified face peeks over the large form of the Soul Reaper. And when she starts to move our eyes meet for the second time.

This time, the momentary deafness in my ears clears out.

"Help me!" She yells, the sound of a cornered animal. It is replaced with a cry of pain when she is hit across the face.

_Don't… _

My mind turns blank.

The next thing I know is that I am moving without a warning.

There are sounds of outrage, pain and none of them are coming from me. I am too busy sinking my teeth into a man's neck and clawing his head.

And I do not think of the consequences.


	3. Chapter 3: The power you hold

_If everyone cared and nobody cried_

_If everyone loved and nobody lied_

_If everyone shared and swallowed their pride_

_Then we'd see the day when nobody died_

_-Nickelback_

* * *

_Fleeting Sakura Arc_

_Chapter 3:_

_The power you hold _

* * *

_Sophie doesn't expect anyone to arrive that day early from their job. The weather is good enough and this is the busiest day of the week for any worker. So, she dares to do hers back at their house, with no second thoughts or hesitation. The decision comes with a flick of a finger, boldly and the blonde finds herself soon enough in the shadow of the hut. _

_Is this immoral? Not in this part of town. Would her roommates be upset, if they find out? Maybe a little. Does she care? Not so much. _

_She needs the money, as much as anyone else in this place does. _

_Heavy breathing fills her ears, hot breath fans over her face. She struggles to ignore the pounding in her head from the heat, the way she can barely breathe with the stench of the man above her. He is one of __**those **__customers. The kind who crush her under their weight, cover her face and mouth with their large, sweaty hands and hold her down without much of a word. They do not care if air doesn't move in and out of her lungs, nor how many bruises they will end up giving her. _

_It is insufferable. These types of people usually pay less or none at all, after they are finished with her. Sophie prefers the first option, it would make this worth it. Although, she is used to feeling disappointed. _

_But somehow, today, she doesn't mind the rough treatment. Something how her blood flow is slowed down by the hands squeezing her limbs like a twig is soothing. __**Ha. I must have lost it. **__She wants to fully laugh at the ridiculous thought, but only manages a small smile, while staring up at the ceiling with a blank look in her eyes. _

_This place truly has broken her. _

_Another tug at her lower region reminds the blonde where she is at. She blinks, concentrating on letting out lewd noises form her throat, despite feeling nothing close to pleasure. It is like a big, clumsy meat sack is merely laying on top of her. A sack with hands that pull her hair harshly. _

"_D-don't… move," he grumbles and lets her head fall back down with a 'thud'. _

_It is then that she sees her. _

_The dark-haired woman is standing by the door. Although, 'door' is not the correct word. It is merely a tattered fabric used as a cover. It does little to snuff out the noises from the inside and isn't even fully closed. The last fact allows anyone a small window to what is happening. _

_Sophie freezes, the man doesn't notice and continues._ _Whatever relaxation she was beginning to gain from all of this fades._

_A single grey eye stares right into her dark brown ones. That single gaze stops time and leaves the naked woman breathless. However, before she can think what to do – either ignore the eavesdropper or stare boldly back at her – the man slams harshly into her._

"_Ah!" She gasps, but the familiar hand covers her mouth. She closes her eyes, not wanting him to see or figure out that they are watched. _

_It is better this way. _

_The sound of wet slapping continues on. Despite her curiosity whether anyone is still standing outside or not, Sophie keeps her eyes closed. She will deal with what comes later. This man will not last much longer, she can tell. _

_Finally, he finishes and withdraws from her. He is panting and lays down on the ground next to her. He looks like a dead fish there. The only small comfort from the bare ground is a thin mat. It is battered with dark spots of dirt and holes, just like the blonde woman laying on it. The red spots all over the skin have started to blossom into bruises. _

_The man stands up, gathers up his clothes and throws a small sack of coins to where he laid just a moment ago. And like a hungry child out in the streets, Sophie reaches out and pulls it close to her chest. It isn't much, but it is something, and better than __**nothing**__. _

_He leaves and she is left alone… or so she thinks. _

"_Sorry," a quiet, almost barely noticeable voice speaks from the door. _

_Sophie stiffens, but then quickly covers herself with the nearest kimono. She is not sure why she is acting so hasty. It isn't like she feels ashamed of what she has done.  
_

"_No need. I didn't know that you would come home early," saying that she gathers up her blonde hair and starts tying it back from her sweaty face. _

_The other woman stays silent, but then she walks over and sits down. Or, she rather slumps down. From beneath the hem of her kimono, red scrapes across her knees become visible. _

_Light eyebrows frown. "Did something happen?"_

"_No," she looks down at her damaged skin, not attempting to hide it. "I just fell while working. Genji-san got angry because one of the jars fell and broke."_

"_And that is why you are back early?" Sophie asks and when she receives a nod a tired sigh escapes from her lips. "That old man – you should learn to stand up to him. If you speak up your mind, he won't kill you, you know. That man is all bark and no bite."_

"_I know," she nods and then looks up at her. "He just said that if I wasn't in the mood for work, then I should leave."_

_The two stare at one another. Truly, they are different in every aspect possible. One has been defiled beyond measure and even a moment ago, yet still has a bright spark in her eyes like nothing ever happened. Sophie is younger than the other but still feels, as if it is the other way around.  
_

_Mira's eyes are dull grey. They haven't shone with light nor does Sophie believe that she is all right in the head either. It is like the woman is constantly under some trance or is looking right through everything she sees. Even now, her gaze bores straight into the blonde's, not wavering or blinking for a moment. It is the gaze of a dead animal. The kind which has been shot before its time and left to rot. The description might sound dramatic, but that is merely how Sophie has seen Mira since the day they met. _

_Frankly, she isn't sure, if those thin and small lips can even form a smile, let alone smirk. _

"_Do you feel disgusted?" Sophie finally asks and covers her chest further. _

_At last, Mira blinks. "Yes."_

_**She is honest. **_

_It doesn't bother the blonde. This is a refreshing answer compared to all the others she has received. "Yeah, sorry about that. I will inform you in the future if I decide to invite customers here."  
_

_She merely nods and then walks over to her small corner. There is only one basket there, holding everything the dark-haired woman owns, which isn't much. _

_It is only when she watches her back Sophie realizes something. If Mira was unused to seeing the acts of intimacy between a prostitute and customer, then she would react more violently. At least, a small spark of disdain would have shown on her face. Despite her eyes being almost dead, there have been occasions when she has shown some emotion on her features. Also, there is the smell. Anyone who hasn't been in a room where people have had sex just a moment ago would wrinkle their noses, at least. _

_Mira turns back towards her and holds out a towel. A bit surprised, the blonde takes the thing quietly and starts wiping herself from sweat. However, when the other woman stands up and walks towards the door again, she pauses. _

"_Are you used to this?"_

_She actually halts in her steps. From the way, the sun streams in the sweat glittering on the back of her short hair is obvious.  
_

"_Used to what?" She asks back without turning around. _

"_Well… prostitution," Sophie clarifies, turning to sit more comfortably. But after there is a dragging silence, she regrets asking. "Um, sorry. Forget I asked."_

_However, to her surprise, Mira turns to fully face her. "I am used to seeing it. I… had a friend once who did the same as you do."_

"_Really?" This is another surprise. Mira doesn't talk about her past much. "You were friends with her while you were alive?"_

_Using the term 'when you were alive' sounds strange even to Sophie's mouth. But that is pretty much how she and others call it. What else were they doing down in that place, not here in the Soul Society, but living their lives? _

_It is barely audible, but the grey-eyed woman's face twitches. She looks down at the ground. "Something like that…"_

_Again, Sophie regrets asking. _

"_But…" Mira continues slowly, raising her head. "I can't judge you, Sophie."_

_For the first time, there is something else besides emptiness in those eyes of hers. They have a tiny spark in them, and the edges are starting to turn red. Her cheeks flush a bit and slowly the corners of her mouth turn up. _

_Sophie nearly drops her towel from the sight of the weak smile. _

"_There is nothing wrong about wanting to survive. You are just doing it the best way you know how."_

* * *

_Damn Soul Reapers. _

I do remember what happened when my eyes open. The vivid images flash in my memories together with a significant sensation of hot throbbing on my cheek. Overall, though, there is little pain and soreness in my limbs. There is nothing tying them down and I am momentarily glad for that. The last thing I want is to be held back more than I already am.

The room I am in is a cell. Sophie sits next to me, long bangs covering her features from my view. The only downside is that there are bars separating the two of us.

Immediately, my mouth opens. "Soph – "

"Well," she cuts me off, voice much clearer than mine, "that could have gone better."

Confused by the sound of her cheery tone in such a glum environment, I frown and sit up slowly. This place is the town's make-up prison, the place I was locked up only yesterday. The sight of it brings my mood down and the familiar smell starts to set in after looking around a bit. Thankfully, this side of the entire draggy-block-of-a-building is cleaner compared to the last time's experience.

Still, though… the dirt is clinging to both of us. To our clothes, hair, skin, both from the struggle we went through and sprawled out on this cell's ground. I am certain the latter is more because I was literally thrown in here while unconscious. There is no way I could have gotten in this kind of state only by brawling a bit.

I wince, hand twitching towards my face where the throbbing continues. This is where I was struck before everything went blank, the spot which without a doubt has a blooming bruise forming on it.

* * *

_Human's jaw is not built to bite deep into the muscle. There's not enough biting power for that in their bone structure. Still, it has enough power to make the rows of teeth break through the thin layer of surface skin all the way to the point where blood is drawn. _

_Still, even while knowing this, the disturbing taste of metal suddenly invading my mouth is startling. The flesh the points of my teeth have sunk into is soft and fills my nostrils with the stench of sweat. The body my limbs are wrapping around tightly is struggling, the vibration of a scream rattling against my face burrowed into the stranger's neck. The rate of my heartbeat rises from the slight fear of falling off and I sink my nails deeper and through the thick fabric of black sleeves. _

_Pressure gathers up inside my skull, the blood in my own veins is rushing forward. The noises mix together and the world blurs…_

_All the voices are brought to a stop when a fist connects with the side of my face. Bright yellow stars fill my vision – can't believe that that is even possible – teeth-rattling before everything grows black. _

* * *

The memory sends a chill down my spine.

If that was all it took for me to fall into unconsciousness, I wonder how I have been able to survive until now. _Fool's luck. _The words echo inside my rattled-up brain and my hands tighten unconsciously into fists. This is the exact kind of feeling I should be experiencing – regret. Not for defending Sophie the way I had, but for not really thinking what could have come out of all of that.

In the end, I only aggravated the man further and got what I was asking for… but so did he. I wasn't really thinking back there. I barely remember all the details clearly. The only thing imprinted deeply into my memory if the sensation of thrill and anger, as I had bitten down on his neck. Just like an animal.

I haven't gained anything from attacking that Soul Reaper, but…

"Sophie-chan, are you hurt?"

At least I am here with a friend.

She blinks at me owlishly and then frowns, pointing at her face. "Me? You should take a look in the mirror. That bruise has swelled up."

"Yeah," I let out a deep sigh, shoulders slumping and lay back down, not caring whatever new dirt soils me. Careful to avoid any more pressure on any damage done on others part of the body, I also turn to my side, watching the blonde through the bars. "So, what did they want?"

Sophie's eyes widen and then narrow, before settling her gaze down on her lap. This time, her frown is small, almost invisible. "It… they just barged into Keisuke-kun's house – "

An image of one of our neighborhood's men – a customer of hers – pops into my head. "Oh, the one you spend the night with?"

"Who else?" She asks sharply, brown eyes whirling to me in a second. It's like her neck could snap from the speed of it and I flinch. It's not out of fear, though, but surprise. She must realize how unexpected the reaction she just gave is and looks back down. "Some rat or other gave a word to the Soul Reapers that they saw _someone_ – that would be me – sneaking into his house. Seeing as they have been keeping rather strict order lately, I guess we shouldn't have been surprised, but…" she trails off, lips forming a thin line.

The expression she wears is the kind anyone would wear if deeply bothered. But it's not only that. The thin line of her mouth turns into a wrinkled surface as her teeth sink into the lower lip. The sight of it reminds me of the time when my teeth sank into the Soul Reaper's flesh.

I follow her gaze's line of direction and end up peeking through other bars to see other people huddled up in other cells. There is one man laying just on the other end of Sophie's, but he has stayed so immobile that you can't almost see him without paying close attention. The steady rhythm of his shoulders falling and rising tell that he's alive. They all are by the looks of it.

Coming to realize we are not alone in here, my voice lowers automatically. "Do they suspect us of something?"

A snort. "'Us'? After the stunt you just pulled, you are definitely under heavy suspicion."

On the opposite end of the room, someone chortles. "Yeah, 'lil missy. Your friend is pretty spot on there."

"Outsiders should butt out," Sophie hisses without missing a beat and scoots closer, also toning down her volume. "Anyway, you should really be lucky they didn't chop your limbs off while sleeping. A few have been dragged out a while back and they haven't returned," she whispers, voice growing into a slight pitch by the end. Her tanned skin seems to lose a few shades. "They took Keisuke-kun, too."

_Akemichi Kumotetsu._

The name of the person that has no face pops into my head. The Soul Reapers have gone through all these precautions to catch this one mysterious person – for what? Whoever he is, it's mostly because of him that I have landed in trouble thrice and now even Sophie has been dragged down with me. Not to mention all of these other people.

There is no question that the objective of this confinement is to catch him. What is incoherencies is how this is going to help the search, if at all. Gathering everyone who is suspicious like this… it's like alerting the real suspect to go back into hiding.

"They will question us," the statement is out of my mouth before I can fully think through everything. "Just answer truthfully whatever it is they want to know."

"Of course they will question us, but then what?" Sophie sighs and leans against the wall. "But – ugh! Why can't they just leave us alone!? Is it that fun to bully our district or what? Gosh! Just wait. When I get out of here, those loose-lipped fools will have some answering to do."

"If they are even planning on letting us out," another man from the other cell quips up, unhelpfully.

"Nobody asked you!" The blonde snaps and turns back to me, lowering her voice even further. "I truly thought they were preparing for our execution – scared the shit out of me. I have lost years of my life here! Not to mention those guys have ruined one of my good kimonos… I knew I should have changed last night and – ugh! My hair is just a mess! I can't wait to get out of here and…"

Her ranting continues on and on in small quick whispers. Not once she appears to be ready to stop, but that is precisely why a frown starts tugging the corners of my lips down. No matter how normal or angry she acts, Sophie's fear of what happened is still rather obvious. Both of us share a quirk where we start ranting whenever we are overwhelmed or nervous. All of those emotions are rather obvious with her body language. The fingers covered in dirt keep on fiddling with either the long hair or sleeves.

The others aren't showing the fear as obviously with movement, but the grim faces shadowed by the dim light of a candle do say something. Among all these expressions, there is me. The one who stares from the side, not letting out any internal turmoil or terror. It's like I am just like a small pebble laying on the ground – plain, simple. Yet, there is a lump forming in the back of my throat at a quick rate.

Frankly, we can only wish to get out of here at some point, whether we comply with the Soul Reapers or not. The thought of staying in here forever is gut-wrenching.

It may be from the fact that I have been locked up in here once before – which was only yesterday – but I truly appear the calmest of anyone present. However, that is not the case on what is going through my mental state at the moment.

_There is no escape._

Whatever Sophie is speaking of, it all goes over my head. Slowly, the line of direction of my eyes drops from the ceiling to my hands – they are unconsciously clenching the side of my clothes. Any kind of sense of calmness or relief is replaced by this cold chill which travels from the tip of my toes to the top of my head. The way the hairs on my body stand up could be from the uneasiness in the air.

I must have claustrophobia. That's the only explanation why the longer I keep on laying where I am, the more I feel like everything has started spinning. And strangely enough, there is a small urge to curl into a tiny ball bubbling within me.

"Alright! Next one!" The door to the shack is slammed open – the walls jangle from the force – and more light floods in. Nobody laying in the cells appears ecstatic, though. They feel the opposite and huddle far back against the walls.

Much like everyone else, Sophie scrambles back and I soon follow. Although the fear is not too evident on my face – it is frozen into a blank mask. Stiffly, I lift my hands to fit between the bars and let the other girl grip them tightly against hers. We seek comfort from one another, already sinking sensations forming at the bottom of our guts.

I recognize the Soul Reaper who has come to claim the next victim. That patched side of the neck is all the evidence one needs to connect him as the one I bit in the middle of the street. Probably recognizing him as well, Sophie tightens her hold on my hands to the point it is painful for both of us.

As soon as our eyes meet, a sadistic smirk spreads on his gruff and scratched up face. "You will do."

* * *

"You know, I don't really think you guys have any legal rights to harm me."

Around twenty to thirty minutes into me arriving into a room on the edge of the wall, serving as a temporary base for my jailors, this is what comes out of my mouth. A second later after stating the pathetic attempt to save myself, I want to grab a time machine, go back ten seconds and punch myself on the face. Honestly, it is a shock that I don't stutter, but there are possibly a million other things that I could say.

As if thinking the same thing, the man sitting on the other end of a small table raises his eyebrow. "You do realize that you are in no position to make such claims?"

"…Yeah. Sorry, I am nervous," I manage out with a tone mirroring uncomfortableness.

"It is quite alright. The last one before you was worse."

"Oh. Well, that's kind of a relief."

Someone in the corner clears his throat and I almost jump from my seat. The Soul Reaper facing me barely bats an eyelash, instead directing his gaze towards his comrade in what appears exasperation. The burly man with the patch on his neck is the very reason why I have mostly been cowering and unable to focus on this interrogation. Surprisingly, nobody has gotten physically aggressive, yet.

A shiver travels down my spine, I do not dare to glance to the side. The bruise on my face aches enough as it is. The quicker I answer the questions, the quicker I could get out of here – or they will just beat me half to death before dumping me into some random street – and go back to get Sophie. I have not yet gathered how I will get through the latter but would work on it once this fiasco is over. _If I am alive by then. _

The man glaring at me – he is making the leering too obvious – and the hairs on the back of my neck keep on standing up.

"Quit chatting with her so casually and continue with the questions already," he growls out, settling back into leaning against the wall with his thick arms crossed across his chest.

Oh boy, did I make a mistake attacking him earlier today. Whatever supernatural abilities I gained at the time to just run and claw him, those are gone now.

"Fine, fine," the other man raises his arms in surrender and turns back to me. "Alright then," he sighs, and I gladly keep my ears open for his next words. "I want you to list out the locations you were at yesterday – from morning till night."

_Oookay… _My eyebrows knit together, heartbeat rising. "I was going to work – I work at a small stand selling water in the east part of the district. My employer is called Genji."

He scribbles it all down with vigor not expected from someone appearing passive the entire time. I push away the bafflement I feel and swallow thickly. _That is it – just stay calm and tell the truth. _

"Give a more detailed description of the location."

"The shop is near the large river crossing through the district, up on a hill leading to one of the main markets. We get our water supply from there and later clean it."

"What time did you leave work?" He continues, even though the subtle pause of his hand is hard to ignore.

"Around noon, which was pretty early compared to how I am usually able to leave only around the evening," I mutter the last part more to myself than to him. "But the business was not going well yesterday, so we closed the shop. Then, I went back home briefly – "

"Is there anyone who can confirm this?"

"What? That I was home?" A nod later I bite my lower lip. "No – but there are few who can confirm that I was at the marketplace after going to buy dinner. There is a man called Ken who sells vegetables – he saw me and can confirm it. There were also other Soul Reapers there who questioned me – "

A scoff. "Do you think that we can remember the face of every random person we question on the street?"

The snippy question sparks irritation and I finally muster some courage to look at the man in the corner. "Yes. I would at least hope so. Considering that they are the ones who dragged me away and put me into a cell I was in a little while ago."

"Then you must have done something to deserve it," he retaliates, smirking in triumph from getting me into a corner.

My face burns. One reason for that is how I am being humiliated here. He wasn't there, he doesn't know what took place and… the words just keep on sticking to my throat. Luckily, the shadow cast by the desk should cover my clenching hands. Somehow, this know-it-all and accusing attitude are a bit similar to a certain black-haired boy.

The one who is supposed to deliver the questions clears his throat. "What was the reason for the arrest and when were you released?"

"Assuming she was released."

"I was," I state confidently and bite my tongue from further saying anything. "They released me by sunset, and I walked all the way back to my house. It is on the other side of the district from my workplace, so I arrived pretty late. My two roommates were still up and waiting for me. Understandably, because I had been spending hours in a stinking cell, I also smelled and this disturbed one of them to the point that she left to sleep in someone else's home."

At this point, my mouth is dry. The memories just keep on crashing their full weight onto my shoulders. For the second time, I look at the man I had bitten and frown to the point my facial muscles ache. His jaw tightens visibly from the obvious sharp look he receives.

"She, together with the person she stayed with, were arrested this morning… My roommate was the blonde woman among the group you tied up today and _one o_f you was a bit _rough _with her," I slow down, letting the message linger in the room.

The Soul Reaper's eyes flash. He knows now to whom I am referring to.

The other man, though, has no idea what transpired this morning. "It appears that you assaulted one of us when we were busy gathering up the suspects. I would like to hear the reasons for this."

"As I said – my friend was treated wrongly," _a mild description, _"and I… might have reacted quite strongly to that."

The gruff and murderous look from the corner is ignored.

"Assault against Soul Reapers is a punishable offense."

A chill, the back of my throat tightens. "And what of harassing people in the district? I don't really know how keeping order in Soul Society works, but I know one thing for certain: we have barely been explained a thing about your business here and you come and – "

_Calm. _Like the body has a mind of its own, my teeth clamp down on my tongue firmly. It keeps whatever frogs I was about to croak out from continuing forward. This place isn't another alley out in the open, nor are these people mere thugs who I could shake off or rile up carelessly. This time around, there isn't some cloud of anger muffling up the voice of reason. _Get a grip!_

"Fine, I understand your point," is what I end up saying. The ends of my blunt fingers dig into my palms.

If the change in demeanor is surprising or pleasant, the man doesn't let it show. "I am glad that you do. However, if you promise to continue this questioning without any difficulties, we might overlook this…" he glances at his comrade, "_incident_."

A smirk nearly forms on my lips. "Yes, sir."

_Ugh! _The tip of my tongue tastes sour from the unusual polite form of speaking. I haven't even talked that much yet and I already feel like puking. This type of thing is what Hisana is far more suited for.

"So, you weren't merely thinking, when attacking one of us this morning?"

"Yes."

"You mentioned your friend being among the retained – give us information regarding her."

The questioning and answering go on without a hitch this time around. They ask more about my job, what I do for a living, the people I know and interact with, those who can verify the claims and so on. Hisana and Sophie are brought up more than once and my throat keeps on tightening with every word. It is like a small pressure has become agitated from the constant silence and terse atmosphere and is ready to explode.

It is infuriating. The smell of dirt and heat gathering up in the damp room is a hindrance. The faint stench of sweat and feces is revolting. And three people are in here, one forced against her own will and two others squinting her under their brooding gazes. It becomes too much to the point I do not even find the scratch marks and bandage on the man standing in the corner amusing anymore. Rather, I want to get out of the bindings locking my arms together – yes, they tied me up before bringing me here – and run through that one door.

Maybe I should regret the impulse I had this morning… _no, that isn't possible._ Sophie's distressed face keeps only flashing in my vision.

_This is ridiculous – _the entire situation, that is.

"Alright, all I need for you to do is point out the location of your shop in this map," as he says it, the said map is pulled out of his robes and spread across the table. My eyes immediately narrow down on the familiar twisty line – the river.

I lean over the paper drawing and place my finger down on one point. "I think it is here. This shape of the river is familiar."

"Okay, I think this is enough for now," the man finally sighs with a nod and closes scroll he has been scribbling on. "Take her back."

"Right," the other Soul Reaper nods and walks towards me.

_Back? _Something within my gut drops, it is the very sensation of dread. "Wait. Can't I just leave? I answered all of your questions."

The protest on my part is ignored and in a second my arm is seized. A painful shot runs the length of it from the crushing grip, and I stifle an urge to stomp down on the man's foot. The moment we begin to walk towards the door, fear settles into my gut.

"The location you showed us is where a corpse was discovered a while back," he finally answers evenly, like talking of the weather.

For the second time, my gut experiences an unpleasant sensation. I remember – it was definitely the body floating down the river, the one whose blood stained the hem of my kimono. That's definitely the same corpse he is talking of.

"So?" I ask dumbly, face tight from tension. "What does that have to do with me?"

"It is suspicious enough that you have been stopped by our ranks before, but even more so…" he trails off, looking back down at the map.

The man dragging me away has paused, allowing me to hear whatever it is about to be said. Still, I have got a bad feeling from this and would even half-prefer leaving. _Oh god. They don't actually think that I – _

"We can't dismiss the fact that you were near the scene of a crime."

_They do!_

"You said you will ignore what I did!" Involuntarily, my voice rises a volume.

"Yes, we will ignore _today's _incident, but not the rest of the allegations."

The blood rushes into my head, panic rising together with my heartbeat. "What allegations!?"

"You obviously have been questioned before, which tells me that your actions earned suspicion – "

I nearly choke on my own spit. _Hardly!_

"There is also the matter that you work near the crime scenes where bodies have been discovered lately."

_That _slackens my clenched jaw. The act doesn't go unnoticed by the Soul Reaper and he glances at his partner-in-crime. The latter's hand on my arm tightens a fraction, but it is so little that I don't even notice right away. Flashback crosses my mind, showing every small detail of that one single lump, barely rising above the river's water. This time, he didn't say body, but bodies. Which means, there has been more than one incident at some unknown point.

Impossible. There is no way that anyone could ignore the piling body count in the town. With the small detail that they all focus on one area, it should have sent red flags all over everyone's heads. I should have known – at least a rumor could have been formed from this. Yet, this piece of information comes as a shock.

There may be scoundrels in this place, more than anyone could count with their hands. But not the kind that would leave bodies laying around within such close range to one another. The question still stands, though: how has this been going unnoticed?

_No, __**they**__ have known it. _

My jaw clicks shut. The gears in my head start moving. The Soul Reapers are the ones who have been swarming around the place for the past week or more. They are the ones who have been snooping around, sticking their noses into places, kept the people in the district under strict surveillance. It's all so obvious now that my head spins.

They have been hiding this. There hasn't been a word of any other corpse because they have taken care of it.

_Akemichi Kumotetsu. _

For the first time, the unfamiliar name sounds chilling. There is no confusion left in my mind. He is the one that boy had been after – he is truly the one behind this mess.

* * *

"You didn't bite anyone again, did you?"

I give Sophie a brief, dry look and settle back into laying still on the ground, crossing my arms over my face. The act is somewhat comforting. It creates an illusion that I do not exist here. It doesn't make ignoring the pain on my face easier, though.

At the moment, to me, everything sucks.

"Hey, Mira-san, please don't ignore me. This situation is already freaking me out."

I let out a sigh and roll over to my stomach, ignoring the dirt clinging to the clothes. "I know, I know."

"What happened out there? I thought for sure that you wouldn't return," she says the last part more quietly, clearly still rattled up by the fact how I had been dragged away out of nowhere. "They have already taken everyone else. I am definitely the next person in line."

The thought is bittersweet. With luck, they will ignore the comments and information they got out of me regarding Sophie and let her go without a hitch. But somehow, my mind isn't too focused on the well-being of my locked-up roommate, nor how we seem to have been stuck in these cells for hours. What bothers me is what I have learned from the questioning.

The sound of rattling carriage comes from the other side of thin walls.

The few people who had been locked up here previously had familiar faces. They must live in the same area where we do. Others weren't so familiar, but that is an unnecessary fact. What is important is to note where they came from – what part of this district, that is. Now that some of the Soul Reapers' rash actions make a bit more sense, this entire gathering and interrogation could also make sense. They probably haven't just randomly chosen people from around the place and brought them here. No, that would lead them nowhere. All this effort has to mean something – there is already unease from this morning's display out in the open.

They had been frantic. Didn't confirm any given facts of the people they were arresting – not that I would expect them to do so under normal circumstances – nor answer any of the questions. I thought they were just attacking people without any foundation or reason, but… it seems that is wrong, as well.

If they have gathered up suspects from a certain area, it's quite possible there have been other hidden incidents happening there, too. _Which means someone could have been killed near our house. _

The back of my throat dries up.

"…san? Mira-san!" Sophie calls out from the other side of the bars. "What is wrong now?"

A blink. "H-huh?"

"You went pale," she enlightens and frowns, squinting down at me from her sitting position. "Are you in trouble? Did you say something you shouldn't have?"

"W-well," I stammer, not finding the voice immediately. It is strange. The air has been so hot and unbearably stuffy until now, but goosebumps spread all over my arms. "N-not that I… Sophie-chan, has anyone been missing from our district lately?"

Now, here frown is more obvious in the dark. "Why are you asking? Stop freaking me out already!"

"Just answer the question!"

She flinches, eyes widening. The way I raised my voice even surprises me. I sounded angry, for a second. It was without thinking, too. The words had just snapped out of my chapped mouth as soon as the blonde woman raised her own volume. I am not supposed to sound angry, I should be afraid. Anxious maybe, but… I can't even describe the amount of fear gathering up within my gut.

I inhale deeply, glad that it is only the two of us in here now. "Tell me, is there anyone who you haven't seen as much lately?"

The question could have been formed more gently – _who am I kidding?_ – there is no way it could have been delivered in any other way. Still, it makes Sophie fall into silence for a few moments.

"No, not that I know of."

A silent breath leaves from my lips. It is painfully obvious that relieved expression has formed on my face. I am glad that nobody in Sophie's environment has been disturbed, but who knows if I can trust her words on this. I didn't even know people have been dying left and right until now.

"Good," I finally say, nodding absentmindedly. "That's good."

"Seriously, Mira, what did those men say?" She asks, the lack of 'san' on my name alarming. "I need to know if they are going to throw me back in here if I say something wrong."

"… I think you'll be fine," I say after a pause. "After all, I pissed off one of them, so it is not a big surprise that I am back in here."

"That is true," she says, sobering. "But it isn't like you have done anything wrong. Soul Reapers should be busy enough with… whatever it is that they are doing here in the first place."

It takes a bit of mental strength on my part not to blurt out the core reason for me being sent back in here. I do, however, decide to let my lips loosen a bit. "Sophie-chan, when you get out, go back to Hisana-chan and do not go out during the night. You both should keep your heads low for a while."

"What? I thought we had this conversation already," she mutters. "With you locked up in here the gods know how long, I will have to get back to work. Hisana-chan can't support the two of us with her wages and – shit. I will have to even inform Genji-san of this. Do you know how grumpy that old man can get? He will start yelling at me!"

"Nice to know you are so concerned about an old man having a hissy fit rather than your friend being held captive," I drawl, but smirk a bit from the image of the said old man glaring and spitting at the blonde who stands uncomfortably in the middle of the street. "He can be reasonable enough. I mean, it isn't like he could do anything against Soul Reapers."

Sophie snorts, lightening up the otherwise gloomy atmosphere. "Knowing him, he could yell at whomever he chooses without getting arrested."

We both share a troubled chuckle, half-joking, and half-serious about my employer's fierce temper.

* * *

Somewhere in the district, an old man lets out a loud sneeze. Many walking past his stand pause, clearly startled by the sudden sound and the loudness of it.

Genji knits down his bushy brows, crossing his arms. "What!? Ain't nothing to see here!"

Everyone quickly averts their attention back to whatever they were doing – either walking or having a talk with the owner of a rice stand. The old man selling the water huffs, finding the sight of the crowd more than irritating during this sunny weather.

He glances down to the side at an empty spot next to him. It usually has someone to take care of the customers rather than let him deal with "picky money leeches". Genji hates to admit it, but people aren't exactly lining up to buy water from seeing his mug. _Where is that girl, when you need her? _

* * *

"Sophie-chan, did they take Keisuke-kun out already?" I ask when the silence and my rushing thoughts become too unbearable. I have to keep my eyes closed and mind clear to prevent a panic attack. Anything could do as a distraction.

"Hm? Of course. Did you even notice him being taken away?" Sophie asks and there is scraping of her sandals against the ground.

"You don't sound very bothered by it."

"He was crying like a little baby. It was more embarrassing when he begged me to help him," she says nonchalantly and the image it causes makes us both snort. "Are you sure you don't know what happened to other prisoners?"

"They only took me into that temporary space for Soul Reapers' purposes and I didn't see anyone there. I don't think that they did anything to further harm them, though."

A hollow chuckle. "How can you be so sure? That bruise of yours – "

"Yeah, yeah," I grumble, cutting her off and reaching out for the tender and swollen skin of my cheek. "There is a mountain grape on my face, got it."

"It isn't purple yet, just angry red," the blonde comments and then taps on the wooden bars. "Do you think that we could make a run for it?"

My spine stiffens from the calm suggestion and I open my eyes to look at her. I mean, really look at her. It was noticeable when I was led back here, but in this light, with the postures, we are in, the faint redness around her eyes is distinguishable. The scratches she received from rough treatment are also painfully obvious with their same color, but she attempts to hide them by pulling down the sleeves.

The steady tapping of her finger against the bar keeps the silence from growing thicker. I have seen this – it is a habit she commonly uses, when nervous. Somewhat, the sound and sight calm me a bit, as well.

"Don't think so," I sigh heavily and inch closer so that I am leaning against the bars. I sit up so that we are at the same eye-level. "These bars are too thick and sturdy."

She snorts, eyes cringing from the sides weakly. "Thick."

My cheeks flush a bit, but I bite down on my tongue. If she has time for dirty jokes, it might as well calm her down a bit. As for me… at least talking to her like this seems normal, if only I could ignore our separated cells and the prudent smell of human feces.

Suddenly, the expression on Sophie's face freezes and our eyes lock. Without a pause, she leans over so that our faces are as close as the bars allow it. "Mira-san, is that… my perfume I am smelling on you?"

For a second, the words do not make sense. Then, the sight of the blonde's light brows knitting themselves together brings clarity. Despite staying in a dump, sweating constantly from nervousness, rolling in the dirt, it appears that the strong scent of flowery paste has not faded yet.

I stiffen. "U-um… maybe?"

" You used my perfume without permission!? How much of that stuff did you take anyway!? I can smell you from over here, you know!"

Funny. Irritation and teasing revenge was only in my mind this morning, but suddenly I am glad we are in separated cells. The smoothly tanned skin is starting to blossom with red patches.

"Would it help, if I told you that I didn't use pretty much all of it?" I ask finally, meekly, sheepishly and inch away.

"No! It doesn't help!" She suddenly reaches out and claws the air. "Come back here!"

I shake my head. "No, I am good."

"You won't be so good when I get my hands on you! How dare you!? Do you know how much I spent on that perfume alone!"

"You are always saying that it comes cheaply for you! Besides, you left me for Keisuke-kun!"

"Who could have slept with the way you smelled all over the place!?"

"Hisa-chan didn't mind! She stayed!"

"Hisana-chan is a different matter entirely! She is too nice!"

In the middle of our quarrel, we are unable to see how shadow creeps out from behind the battered-up door. Nor hear fully how the lock clicks open. It is only when the entire wooden thing creaks loudly that we both freeze and whip our eyes towards the door. Sophie's expression of annoyance and anger melts into fear, her dark brown eyes quivering. Mine was already close to the latter, but now it goes down even further – I forget how to breathe.

It is the same man. The one I had bitten this morning and who had slapped Sophie across her face. She clearly remembers him too well, because I can see, for a second, how her fisted hands tremble.

He walks past my cell to the blonde's and opens it, gesturing for her to come over. "Get up."

It is a completely different treatment that I received. I was dragged out by him from the arms and then by other men. This type of approach tells me that he doesn't consider the fact that she might jump on him the second his back is turned. Neither do I. She has the capabilities of a frightened kitten at the moment. The way she was just pulled out of a building and tied up together with other people must have been more frightening than I thought.

With a hesitant glance to my direction, she stands up, never breaking the eye contact. I bite my lower lip, tasting a tinge of metal from the dried-up blood. I blink once. _You will be fine. _

_No, I won't, _is what her eyes seem to convey to me before turning towards the door of her cell. She moves, steps hesitant and hands guarded at her sides. The stiff position is completely different from the vigor she displayed a moment ago – I don't like it. It is like there has been a switch and she has become a complete stranger.

Well, she is dealing with an authority figure. Not a simple nasty customer. She can't just flip him off and threaten him like she usually would to an ordinary man. There is not a trace of that confident woman left.

_It is alright, _the voice in my head whispers. _She won't be harmed this way. She needs to be compliant. _

"What about her?"

The question makes me choke on my own spit. It's suffocated by sheer will alone and I ignore the tingling sensation at the back of my throat. Sophie isn't looking back at me, no matter how much my panicking gaze tries to reach hers.

What is she doing?

The man glances down at her, then at me. Without missing a beat, he wraps a rope around her. "None of your business."

"I know one of your officers. He won't let this go if you do not release _both_ of us."

_No, no, no, no! What are you doing!? _I want to throttle her. Just a while back she was happily ready to choke me, she could just leave me to rot in here for revenge. This is no time or place for human consciousness or to be a good friend. Sophie should have taken this opportunity to walk away.

Still, my heart swells from her attempt.

The Soul Reaper doesn't appear as touched, though. He raises an eyebrow, skeptic. "Oh, really?"

Sophie's firm face does not falter. "Yes, really. His name is Inuchiyo Takemaru from the Fourth squad."

The man smirks. "Inuchiyo? He is the 31st seat."

"Meaning?"

"_Meaning_ that I rank higher than him. I am the 21st seat."

It's clear that Sophie doesn't understand the meaning of this, nor what is trying to be implied using numbers. She doesn't know what kind of embarrassing situation she has placed herself in. Rather, it's obvious to me where she got acquittanced with a Soul Reaper in her line of the profession – a fact I want to erase from my mind – but even more shocking is that she is trying to use him to persuade our captors for immediate release.

Seeing her confusion, the smirk on the man's face turns nastier. The look he is giving at her is obvious. The gleam in his eyes, the way his fingers shift at his sides. Sophie finally sees it and her back straightens sharply. The confusion fades and her eyes narrow into slits.

I remain on the ground, watching the entire thing through bars and with a lump in my throat.

"You are a prostitute, right?"

The blonde doesn't even flinch from the word, but her voice tightens. "Yes. What about it?"

_Oh, no. _Automatically, my hand flies up to cover my mouth. The twisting in my gut worsens. The hairs on my body stand up to the fullest.

"The good ol' Inuchiyo might not have what it takes to get the two of you out of here, but I could make some _adjustments_ to that."

Both of us feel sourness spread all over the air. That tone is familiar to both me and Sophie. You hear that kind of voice almost daily if you walk around or near certain dark alleys. The Soul Reaper is either too obvious or does it on purpose, but he places his hand on Sophie's shoulders. There is no hiding the way it strokes it.

Dark brown eyes merely glance down at the hand, before looking up. "How can I be sure that you will keep your word? You wouldn't be the first one to back away after everything is done."

Now, I do not even like the turn Sophie's attitude has taken. She stands tall, with confidence that she is used to having while in 'business'. Maybe I should be glad that she has a grip on her emotions again, but… the bruise on my face keeps on burning, reminding what we are dealing with here.

"How 'bout I let your friend over there go, but you will stay?" He suggests, placing another hand on her shoulder. His eyes move up and down Sophie's form.

Not able to stand this anymore, I stagger up and towards the other end of the cell, reaching a hand for my friend. "Don't," is the only thing that comes out of my mouth. The rest is lost, when she looks at me.

Her gaze is soft, casual even. It doesn't hold fear, disgust or conflicts to whether she wants to do this or not. It is the same face and a pair of eyes she has whenever she arrives home very late or talks during dinner. Nothing about her is screaming for help or trying to fight out of the man's lecherous hold – it is almost disturbing.

Both Hisana and I have always been worried about her safety with the line of work she has. There are many who could take advantage of her, and sometimes I fear that there might be a day she will get more than she could handle.

What I feel is not repulsion from what she is willing to do, but fear.

Seeing something on my expression change, Sophie turns her attention back to the Soul Reaper. "You will let her go? What about me?"

"Don't worry about that," he says, taking a strand of her blonde hair and stroking it. "It will all depend on the service you will give me."

"Stop! What do you think you are doing!? Are Soul Reapers even allowed this kind of behavior!?" I demand, slamming my hand on the bars in panic. I can't remain calm, like Sophie. It is impossible for me. "What will your superiors say!?"

"Deal," she says, cutting me off without even raising her own voice. "Let her go, and I shall show you my _service._ Afterward, you shall also let me go."

My stare is full of disbelief. "How can you believe anything he is saying!? He could – "

"He won't," she says and gestures towards the door. "Let her go."

"Very well," he grins – it is a nasty expression – and takes out the keys. Within a few seconds, he has twisted the lock open and then the door. "Hurry it up."

There is freedom before me. I could take a simple step out and leave this nasty place behind, but my legs remain rooted to the ground. The dark brown orbs do not leave my grey ones – Sophie is silently begging me to move. The message is clear, but I do not comply right away. There is a bitter taste spreading on my tongue and my shoulders are squared up.

Something within my chest breaks. The sound of it is so loud I am half-afraid that the two other people can hear it. The rational side tells to make a run for it, turn the attention to the fact that there is a way to leave. But every small part of the living cell in my body is numb. I feel like throwing up, and it has nothing to do with the smell. Nor the fact how my eyes start burning. Blood is gathering up into my head.

Was this prison so dark before?

"Mira-san," she says, almost vulnerable, "do not judge me."

_This is not right, _it is what anyone with a stable moral compass would let out, but I do not have one. It hasn't been with me for a long time, or perhaps it was completely broken at one point. Still, I have an understanding of what Sophie feels and is going through.

"I won't."

Her eyes turn glazed. The dark brown turns a shade lighter and a faint, feeble smile tugs the corners of her lips.

_I won't judge you. _

I take the first step, joints stiff. I duck down so that my head won't collide with the small opening's upper part. And when I am out, the weight has been lifted off from my shoulders. Sophie continues looking at me with the same expression and I return the smile with a tight one of my own.

However instead of leaving towards the outer door…

_But I won't leave you with this jerk either. _

I face the Soul Reaper, smile falling from my lips. He is tall alright. The back of my neck creaks, when I tilt it to meets his eyes.

"Maybe Inuchichio or Inochiyo won't have power over you," I start calmly, ignoring the sharp inhale from behind me and the hovering presence of dark brown eyes. "But surely Kuchiki Byakuya will."

The effect is instantaneous. His facial muscles twist into disbelief and the lower part of his mouth drops. Before he had appeared like a frightening giant, a bear that could break bones and slice us into pieces with his sword. Now, he is a child caught doing a prank and is unable to form an excuse for an adult. Beads of sweat start sliding down his forehead and his shoulders slump down, making him appear smaller than he truly is.

Finally, probably because the sight of my slowly growing smirk is obvious, he gathers some of his wits. "Y-you are lying. There is no way that someone like you could be worth _his_ trouble."

"Oh," I say and tilt my head innocently. "Are you sure? Want to put that into a test?"

"You are bluffing," he grinds out, hands clenching.

Sophie approaches, I can tell by how body heat radiates against my back. She grips the end of my sleeve in a silent warning, but I do not budge or look at her.

"He is shorter than me," I start, gaining frightening confidence. "With long black hair in a ponytail and grey eyes. He usually has a frown between his brows and is extremely strict and bossy those below him. He may be young, but I expect that he has a very _high_ standing in your ranks, _right_?"

The man is becoming agitated. He is glaring down at me but hasn't yet laid a hand on me or Sophie – a good sign. The sight of it is worrying, but also encouraging. The positions have finally switched between us. _Who knew that squirt could be so useful? _

"There are many with those features."

I raise an eyebrow. "Would you like for me to confirm this with him later?"

"Try it," he shoots back, leaning over me in a menacing manner. "You are below him, so there is no way that he could acknowledge your claims."

The palms of my hands are sweaty by now. The man's last statement has struck a chord and I know he is speaking the truth. That little brat has proven to me more than once how he sees everyone around him as inferior. That is why there is no way I could fulfill the threat of finding and talking to him. There is no way. But if I back away now, then Sophie will have to… with this man… and…

"He doesn't like sweets," I breathe out. After a moment of confusion from every person in the room, I continue. "He like spicy things – _I think_ – and bananas! He also likes cherry blossoms a-and his sword's name is Senbonzakura."

This time around, the man's expression twists for the second time. This time around, he looks even more shocked than previously.

The smirk on my face returns.

"I am pretty sure that there is no other Soul Reaper around carrying a sword with that name."

* * *

"I remember how you gave me your word not to cause any problems for my subordinates, again."

The icy tone is enough to cool down the temperature in the room. I remain seated on the ground, happily so. I would definitely topple over because of my shaking legs.

Sophie is watching keenly at the peculiar exchange, clearly intrigued, from her cell. Like how I didn't know her relationship with one Soul Reaper, she hadn't known about mine. Although, I am pretty sure my story with this one is too complicated compared to hers.

I ignore the stare but sweat keeps on gathering up into the back of my neck, the skin suffocated by the gathering heat kept together by my hair's mass. Sophie has no idea just how much I am internally trembling. It is not out of fear – or maybe it is –_ gosh, I have no idea how to feel about this – _but I do feel like digging a hole and burying myself in it.

_Oh, sweet dumplings, why me!?_

Apologizing and buttering him up might suffice in this situation.

Like during our last meeting – which literally was yesterday – I lower my head, forehead touching the ground. "I deeply apologize."

"It will take a lot more than an apology to stop me from cutting you down," he says as calmly as a storm would.

I bite my lower lip, not sure if he is being serious or not. He could have stormed in here, waving his sword around and actually stabbing me the first chance he got. Instead, all he has pretty much done is glare down at me – which is funny because I am taller than him – and wordlessly demanded an explanation of why he has been brought here.

The Soul Reaper who I had threatened – apparently his last name is Takahashi – apparently had enough guts to go and find Byakuya and tell him about me. What exactly he said that I told him, I have no earthly idea, which is probably scarier than knowing.

This was _never _part of my plan. I don't know what to do!

When I do not speak, he ignores me and turns to ask: "What did this woman do to be locked up in here?"

"Sir, she disturbed our morning gathering of suspects by attacking one of our subordinates and seriously injuring them. Later she refused to be compliant during the interrogation and even threatened us."

My face rises up, completely incredulous and flaming with anger. _Oh, that is just a load of bull – _

"And you did not have the manpower to stop her?" Byakuya's cool question cuts off the rising rage. He is looking at the patched-up man with light pink scratches all over him in a blank manner. It is obvious that he has figured out who was 'attacked' this morning. "Furthermore, what reason did you have for bringing me in here? If you had handled the situation properly, she would be back in interrogation by now. You have delayed your squad's duties and disturbed mine. Now, give a good reason not to report your incompetence."

Sophie leans closer to the bars. "Damn, he sure has a mouth for a kid."

Grey eyes slide sharply to the blonde. If we thought the dark aura around him was scary before, he could pass as a demon now. "You stay _silent_. You have _not_ been given permission to speak."

Her jaw shuts and her eyebrows frown. Clearly, she finds his attitude just as annoying as from any teenage boy. Too bad that she is yet to witness the true threat he bears over our lives. I just pray silently she knows how to keep her mouth shut around this one.

Byakuya turns his attention back to me. "What did you tell my subordinate that he found it _necessary_ to fetch me?"

_He wasn't told? _I glance at Takahashi who stays silently and wisely a few feet away from the much shorter boy. Somehow, I envy him, despite the fact that I have bars between myself and the dark-haired teen. _Dang. I pity anyone who has to listen to him all day long. _

"He…" I direct my eyes at Takahashi again, "was willing to let me and my friend walk out if she slept with him." A choking sound. I do not even dare to look up at anyone anymore. "So… I wanted to stop it."

The burly man stomps over closer to the cells. "That's a lie! You demanded to bring Kuchiki-dono here, threatening to kill yourself!"

For the second time, he has managed to make me lift my head up with my jaw nearly hitting the ground. "I did what!?"

"Do not listen to this woman, Kuchiki-dono. It was an error in my judgment, to begin with. I should have not believed a word this low life said."

_Low life? _I am seething, fingers digging into the earth. Previously, it was Byakuya who I wanted to strangle, but now the irrational part of me has switched sides. As soon as I would get out of this cell – hopefully soon and in one piece – he better watch out before I attack him again. He sure is ready to make up lies to save his own skin… _That sounds kind of like me. _The thought makes my skin crawl.

The black-haired Soul Reaper looks at the older man with a frown, either because he is bothered by the proximity or that he has interrupted us. Whatever the reason, he looks back down at me, dismissing the man.

"Takahashi, stand down," he orders, clearly not addressing him as someone older. There is no respect or equality in his tone whatsoever.

The man winces, the color of red on his face fading into whiteness. It makes him look almost pitiable, almost. "Yes, sir."

I have never really liked the color of my eyes. They are plain and simple – grey. Like that of a mouse's fur. But Byakuya's are clearly a different matter entirely. That becomes obvious when our eyes meet again. His are sharp and shine in the light. Even someone with bad vision could see feet away that those orbs are large and clear. There is something unreasonable within them, reflecting his young age and inexperience. But when he opens his mouth, it is almost as if he is an adult.

If he were to take that sword of his and place it away from view, he would seem just like any other boy. He would merely be too arrogant for his own good, filled with too much pride. Thinking this makes me feel a bit better. I am not dealing with an old, stern man or a violent adult here, but with a teenager. Not that I have any experience dealing with a one in the first place.

"Now, I believe you all have wasted enough of my time," he states and turns around.

It is like someone has poured down cold water all over me.

"Wait!" I call out before he can take a step. "You have to help us!"

"…help?" He asks, not looking at me, but the end of his ponytail moves with the slight twitch of his head.

"Yes! This man will do gods know what to us when you are gone!" I emphasize by pointing at Takahashi. "Do you really want _that_ to happen? Don't tell me you believe his story!"

"And you think I should believe yours?" He asks and finally looks at me with a glare. He is irritated, but not close enough to be in full rage. "After all the lies you spewed, you dare to accuse someone else of lying?"

My tongue becomes tied up. His accusations are not far off. I did lie to him the first time we met, and now in his eyes, I have broken a promise to not be a bother. However, it is impossible for me to think of my actions as irrational. Or, maybe they have been, but there has always been a good motive behind them. I did not want Sophie to suffer. That is all. Surely, he has enough human decency in him not to leave us – mostly Sophie – he doesn't know her – here to be beaten up.

The blonde woman is watching me and Byakuya. The sensation of her deep brown eyes boring into me and absorbing every word of the conversation hits my skin through clothes. I do not want her to go through with the deal she made, nor bear the consequences with me if we are truly left here.

Before I can retort, Byakuya opens his mouth again.

"If you do not abide by the rules, you will be punished. That is the rule of the Soul Society and does apply to your district as well."

Much like with how I felt with Sophie, something within my chest shatters and crumbles. There, for the tiniest moment, traces of a boy in his older years glimpse through the shrouds of his penetrating young gaze.

He looks like one of those politicians who always use rules as an excuse.

"And those who use the rules to suppress the weak?" I ask, incredulous. "Are we just supposed to always stay silent and obedient no matter what the orders are? This has nothing to do with your investigation, you know. I just want my friend out of here," with my head I gesture to the other cell, rising up from the bowing position. "She doesn't deserve to be here. I am willing to stay but let her go."

Takahashi sneers. "You shouldn't listen to her, Kuchiki-dono. As if the streets will miss one prostitute."

Sophie doesn't wince from the harsh words. She is used to being called that, no matter if it is in a good or bad way. However, unlike her, I am not used to it. Especially coming from that man's mouth, it sounds far dirtier than it should.

"And I suppose that the Soul Reapers need a man-whore like yourself then?"

A vein pulses on his neck, near the plaster covering my bite marks. "You – "

"Enough!" Byakuya's sharp voice cuts off the rising argument and we all fall into silence. Unlike the previous cold and rage-filled, but calm form the beginning, his shoulders are now stiff and a faint blossom of pink lines the bridge of his nose and cheeks. "Takahashi, I expect you to comply with your orders this time around without any more troubles."

Takahashi falters, straightening up. "Yes, sir."

It is ridiculous. Calling such a young boy 'sir'.

"And _you_," he glowers back at me, but I do not cower this time under his angry gaze. "Consider yourself lucky that I do not have time to finish your off myself."

_I'd like to see you try, _I nearly blur out, but cross my arms in defiance. "So, you really are going to leave us here?"

He scoffs and turns his back, this time fully marching to the door. He is not willing to answer, he doesn't think it as anything serious or worth his while. A frown forms on my face, as I watch him walk away and soon, I am next to the bars, clutching them desperately. My hands are shaking. I truly thought, for a second, that he wouldn't be like this. But now that small hope has been snuffed out.

_You arrogant little… _the insults just keep on going on and on in my head. The more I watch him go the angrier I become. He hadn't pointed his sword at me this time around, but the memory of even that makes me so mad.

And all I can think of is: _now what? _

* * *

Once he is out, the young Soul Reaper breathes out through his nose. The air is not clear of the stenches from this town, but at least it is less smelly than what it was inside. If he had stayed longer in there, he might have just as well puked his guts out, despite not eating much anyway. A fact he is suddenly rather grateful for.

This all had been unexpected. Rather, everything doesn't seem to go his way lately. Byakuya hadn't wanted to almost believe that Takahashi's words about a woman who demanded to see him and who claimed to know him. He could have only questioned what that single person had done this time around and felt intolerable annoyance forming within his gut.

He had been busy writing a report and now this has occurred. This is nothing like he had imagined his line of duty to be like. He should have never chased after that woman, to begin with. It is like that one event started out these coincidences where they keep on colliding.

Again, he feels irritation and closes his eyes tiredly. _This isn't good. I have to stay calm. I have to go back and – _

"E-excuse me?" A timid, soft voice interrupts his line of thoughts.

And here he was so close to regaining his composure. Byakuya turns, glaring. "What?"

The person – a girl – flinches from his harsh tone. He is momentarily startled himself by how large her purple eyes are but soon smooths down his features. She is obviously in distress. The way her hands are trembling curled on her chest and red brims around her eyes tell him much.

Slowly, she lowers her hands and her trembling ceases under his watchful eyes. "I… I was wondering if my friends are still held in there."

He doesn't even have to glance at where she looks to realize she means the small temporary prison next to them. Byakuya's patience starts crumbling once more.

"Please, Shinigami-san," she lowers her head in a bow. "I need to know where they are."

The sight of her lowered head and sound of respect and politeness in her voice is strangely soothing. He inhales deeply. "If they have not returned, then they are still held behind bars."

She rises back up, looking even more agitated than before. "Then… when will they be released?"

By using the word 'they', it is easy to assume she means more than one person. However, the only ones that are still held in this place are those two women he saw earlier. A clenching sensation spreads in his gut and he looks back down at the girl with a harsh glare. _Don't tell me she means…  
_

"It will all depend on how they will comply with the investigation," he answers curtly, about to walk past the girl.

She stops him by stepping boldly in front of him. "They haven't done anything wrong."

"If so, then why were they arrested?" He asks back, letting his inner irritation seep through.

Again, the girl flinches and her gaze falls. Her hands clasped together, tighten their hold to the point where her frail knuckles turn white. "I… I am not certain. But they definitely are innocent to whatever you are accusing them of. Please, I am begging you to believe me."

He feels uncomfortable. The way she is looking at him is making him feel uncomfortable. Her gaze is glazed over like she is about to burst into tears. He wishes she would simply cease with his foolishness and let him be. There has been more than enough trouble today for him and he doesn't need to gather more into the pile. He would rather be out there hunting down Hollows than do this.

Without a word, he steps past her.

"Please wait!" She calls out and starts following him. "Is there anything I can do to help them?"

"No," he answers bluntly. "I suggest you leave the matter into our hands and pray that those friends of yours aren't some ruffians who are going to cause more trouble."

"Oh, no! They aren't like that!" She raises her voice. It is so clear that Byakuya nearly winces. "Please, tell me anything!"

His brows knit together tighter. Her constant pestering is drawing attention. "Like what?"

"Just that – ah!" Her words are cut off with a cry and then a faint 'thud'.

He knows she has fallen. This could be an opportunity for him to walk away, save himself from disgrace and further humiliation. Yet, his legs involuntarily stop moving and he turns around in time to see the girl struggling to sit up. Her thin arms are shaking under her weight, though.

She is clearly weak.

Whether it is pity or an automatic response from his end, but Byakuya is soon kneeling in front of her. She raises her eyes in surprise, when he places a hand on her back, giving support. He keeps on looking down at her, noting how pale she suddenly is. Under his hand, the bones are so prominent he almost recoils from shock.

Before he can pull away, though, she has grabbed his hand. The grip is faint, weak, but he doesn't pull away. Even her fingers are frail but warm.

"Please," she repeats, eyes sad and desperate, "help me."

He can't find the strength to pull away.

* * *

**Alright! I finally finished this chapter! Thank you for anyone who has already clicked the 'Follow/Favorite' button. This story is slowly building itself, but I promise that there will be more action in the next chapter!**

**Review and give comments! **


	4. Chapter 4: Wheels are turning

**Yuki Suou: I am happy that I posted the last chapter as well and it has been quite a while since that update. I hope that you have been waiting for this new chapter, too. **

**03Isabella: I won't stop writing these chapters, but my pace is incredibly slow as of late. It has been around five or four months since my last update. Sorry about the wait. **

* * *

_Swallow your pride occasionally _

_It's not fattening._

_-Frank Tyger_

* * *

_Fleeting Sakura Arc:_

_Chapter 4: _

_Wheels are turning_

* * *

_I do not approach the door. There would be no reason for me to do so – I would only make things worse. Still, I feel like I can't breathe while crouching down in a corner. My knees hurt, my eyes hurt, the back of my throat keeps on burning like the fire lighting up the darkness in the house. It creates shadows, though. The shadows I am trying to hide from. _

_Whether they realize it or not – they definitely realize it – their voices carry themselves to my ears. I can understand their words, feel the venom that they are slicing the air with. Not even covering my ears proves to be helpful. _

"_Every night! We are at the end of our rope 'ere!" A woman screeches, clearly upset. _

"_I am truly sorry for this."_

"_That is what you always say! If you truly want to be sorry, kick 'er out or stuff 'er face so she doesn't wake up the entire street!"_

"_I-I understand. Please, we will figure something out. Please forgive us."_

_My muscles tense, as if waiting for a physical lashing. The people outside don't barge in, though. They are blocked by a single young woman who firmly keeps on bowing in front of the door. Her shoulders are small, the other woman next to her stands up, though, with her hands on her sides. _

"_Look, if anything it is __**your**__ screaming that wakes the entire street up."_

_"S-sophie-san!" The small female whispers frightened that her friend might cause the older woman in front of them to have another fit.  
_

_I blink, flinching when the volume of the complaining voice rises again. _

"_We are dealing with this the best way we know how. If you have any further complaints, you can stuff your own ears and use that to sleep peacefully through the night," the blonde woman says bluntly, and glances over her shoulder. Through the thin fabric covering the door, her stare is obvious. _

"_H-how dare you – "_

"_Hisana-chan, go in."_

"_But…"_

"_I will handle this old hag."_

"_Old hag!?"_

_Getting the hint to get out of there, the small girl runs inside, her worried face shining brightly from the fire burning. She fidgets with her sleeves, looking and listening over to the two women left outside. They have obviously started arguing heatedly. _

_It is a miracle that no one else has come in front of this house to complain about the noise. Not that they would dare to in the first place. To get in the middle of two women yelling at each other with red faces is a spot that nobody wants to have. Not to mention that this is not anything new occurring in this street. Nightly wakeups have become quite common. All because I appeared. _

_The petite girl looks at me and I stiffen. It is strange. She is not physically threatening, nor does it fit her personality. However, my limbs simply become rigid every time her large purple eyes turn to look at me. The worst part is that those eyes of hers look at me gently. They are not filled with pity or anger from waking up only after a few hours of sleep. No matter how obvious those dark bags are against her pale skin. The fire makes it only glow eerily. _

_She means no harm, but I still inch closer to the corner. Like hiding from the touch of the only light source in this small house. _

"_It is alright," she says and flinches from another loud scream. "Sophie-san knows how to handle this… I sincerely hope so, at least."_

_So polite, so caring… it makes my chest hurt. That soft voice is so kind it makes my ears sting. _

"_Would you like something to eat or drink?" She asks after a pause, shockingly able to speak over the two women outside. _

_A pause and I shake my head. _

_"I see. Aren't you cold there, though?" She continues asking and sits down to her own bedding, which isn't much, to be honest. It is next to the blazing flames, though. "It has gotten a bit smaller, but it is still warm. You should come here. It is quite calming."_

_I am cold, but it isn't anything new. I am always cold here. Laying on the ground with only a thin blanket. So, naturally, my body crawls closer. As if it is her permission to do so that I have been waiting for my limbs to react. Seeing me do this makes her eyes brighten. I avoid looking at her, though. She is smaller, I remind myself, but goosebumps still rise up to my arms._

_We sit there, listening to the crackling fire and Sophie's and the woman's voices. They all turn into one and the same within my ears, fading and becoming insignificant. I blink, feeling how my dry eyes sting from the act. They tear up, or maybe there is another reason for that entirely. _

"_Did you have the nightmare again?" She asks softly, not meaning to put pressure. _

_I blink again, wishing for my limbs to stop shaking. My voice is both hoarse and hollow – I am so tired – when I speak. "Yes."_

"_Would you like to talk about it?"_

"_No."_

_Because my attention is on the fire, I do not get to see what kind of face she is making. __**She must be hurt. **_

_Out of curiosity and feeling guilt for the first time in a long while, I glance to my left. Both luckily and unfortunately, she doesn't appear insulted. In fact, her eyes remain the same, that small smile never slipping from her mouth. She is watching the fire, too, never taking her eyes off of it even when her orbs turn glossy. _

"_I used to have them, too," she starts and looks up. Our eyes meet. "Would you like me to hold your hand? It might help you fall back to sleep."_

_It is a strange proposition. She doesn't know me well, I am older than her, it is a scenario of a child offering adult comfort. I feel disturbed yet can't show it on my face. I feel numb. There is a chance that I might wake up again and hurt her, slam my limbs on her frail body and break something. I fear that if I touch her, my skin might crack and fall off. The world would turn dark and the fire would die out quicker and I would still be holding that small hand like a weak lifeline. _

_If she had asked such a thing during the first night, I terrorized this street with my screams, I would have rejected it. I wouldn't be sitting here, so close to her and meeting her gaze like it is normal for me. Because it isn't. I am afraid and so tired of it. _

_Her smile widens a bit, the outstretched hand staying between us. _

_I place mine in hers. _

* * *

One night. Just one night of peace and quiet would be enough for me. No barking dogs or neighbors. Or the sound of clothes rustling, when someone gets up in the middle of the night. Deaf silence. It is something very rare you get to experience in lower districts, so people mostly must take it for granted. But not me. I have learned that lesson a long time ago. That is why I treasure the time of silence probably more than anyone else in this place…

Unfortunately, nothing goes according to plan. This is also something I have learned, in a hard way. And in my case, it includes being half-strangled and half-tangled by the collar of my clothes by one of my roommates.

This is not the most threatening situation that I have been in, but it definitely isn't comfortable. Hisana can only watch helplessly from the sidelines, as Sophie glowers at me like I just insulted her ancestors. Her large purplish eyes have been moving between us for a while now. They only become more frantic the longer I stay silent.

"Alright! Spit it out!" The blonde growls and gives a good shake to measure her frustration.

What a lovely way to start dinner.

"S-sophie-san, please stop that!" Hisana pleads in panic.

"D-don't worry," I choke out, completely limp. My heads dangle to the side. "I t-think I can see the light now."

"Oh, no you don't!" Sophie pulls me further against her so that our eyes meet. "You ain't getting dinner until you tell us how you know a Soul Reaper!"

_Of course, _I almost groan out. This is the topic that has started this mess in the first place. Why Sophie is more pissed than she would from getting her clothes ruined and why Hisana's pale complexion has turned into snow. Their shocks are perfectly understandable, but I am not grasping the reason why I am being manhandled.

We are all tired. That is a fact. Both me and Sophie are dirty and dusty, in need of cleaning and rest. The young girl sitting on the side is exhausted from running across the district and her feet are covered in light red scratches. Frankly, we fit the description 'street rats' perfectly at the moment.

The smell of broth boiling brings out the appetite I thought I no longer had. It is all we can have tonight, but it certainly has never appeared more appetizing. I would be disturbed by that fact if the supply of oxygen carrying blood wasn't being delayed by my friend's deadly grip. She is the one who taught me self-defense not to so long time ago, so I shouldn't be that surprised by how much muscle she suddenly seems to possess.

"Mira-san," Sophie says sweetly, suddenly with a much smoother voice, "please, _don't_ ignore me."

_Uh-ou, she is pissed. _I almost want to inch away. Almost. I would, if I could, but still wouldn't do it. If that makes any sense.

"I am not ignoring you."

"Then what is up with that look?"

"What look?" I ask back, blinking innocently, but bite my tongue at the withering glare I receive. "Alright, alright, calm down."

"How the hell I am supposed to calm down!?" She shakes me vigorously. The rims of her eyes turn red from frustration. "You have been keeping things from us! This situation is already hectic enough!"

Underneath all the irritation for her illogical behavior, I understand how Sophie feels… to some extent. She has been dragged through the mud, scarred to death from not understanding what is happening and now holds bruises to prove the ordeal she went through. Her expression borderlines how close she is to crying to let all the stress out and it nearly startles me. I can't actually recall if she has ever looked so worn-out.

Hesitantly – while still being shaken like a rag-doll – I glance towards Hisana. Her eyes are flushed, a contradiction to the color of her skin. She has been crying at some point.

_Yeah, she cried…_

They both have cried.

* * *

_(A few hours ago.)  
_

The moment the door closes, the door to the cell opens with a sickly ear-piercing screech. The hairs on my body stand up and I look towards Sophie in a panic – she is being dragged out by her arm. Her features are twisted in pain, no doubt from the iron hold and her body being pulled out of the confinement. Still, she looks to be more ready to spend her days behind bars than out. It is obvious from how she is twisting and trying to get her limb back.

The back of my esophagus burns.

Takahashi has that glint in his eyes again. Now, that the only power capable of freeing us without a price is gone, he is sinking his claws in again. This time, he doesn't negotiate with her. No, he is using simply physical force to get his own will through.

"Let me go!" Sophie yells and tries to claw his arm off but is next tangled by her hair.

"Shut up," he growls and starts pulling her along by the long locks. His action makes it look like he is simply holding a cloth, a very fragile one.

I can already see – thin strands fall down to the ground like hay. Bolting, I slam my hands across the thick bars. "Let her go! She doesn't want to go along with you!"

He actually pauses to give me a withering look. Having the potential brute's –_ no, he is definitely a brute, my face is still hurting_ – attention shift to me involuntarily sends a jolt down my body. Again, I note how tall he is and just how easily his hand engulfs Sophie's arm. The bone is the stick he could snap in half, mine could be one just as easily.

"And what are you going to do about it? Call Kuchiki-san in, again?"

Those words are mocking, reminding how badly my first plan has failed. That black-haired boy has abandoned us here.

My eyes meet with large brown ones. There is a snarl on my friend's face, but those two orbs – trembling with emotion – reveal just how frightened she is. These are the emotions she was holding back so desperately earlier before I apparently made things more complicated.

"Don't touch me! I will scream and – "

He slaps her, right on the cheek. A second later it turns red in color. A clog blocks our voices. The very air thins and fades out of the entire space. Without realizing it, the pain spreads across my fingers from how harshly they dig into the wood.

We are back on this morning. The moment I saw Sophie being hurt, something snapped. But now, there is a dull, but sharp crack echoing in my chest.

"I told you to shut up! I already got in trouble with that brat because of you two, so you better be ready to pay for that!" Takahashi sneers and drags the smaller woman's face closer to his.

Sophie's eyes screw themselves shut – from both pain and refusing to meet his gaze. Those same eyes that size up her body from the tip of her bare feet to the hold he has on her head. His breath fans over her face, moving the astray bangs sticking to her forehead. There it is again, that dirty gleam in his eyes. While not being subjected to that, my skin crawls.

As a last resort in saving her, I reach out for my straw sandals, taking the first one off with haste. I should at least create an opening for her – the stupid Soul Reaper forgot that the door is wide open right behind him. _Get her out of here, _I think to myself with my slippery hands holding my first "weapon".

The door to the outside world opens, letting fully in the noise from the outside.

"Let them out."

Everyone in the prison turns their heads towards the source of the voice. The black-haired youth stands there, arms crossed and inside the dark sleeves. He stands there, not even twitching from the silence that occurs after his abrupt entrance. His gaze remains disinterested in the frozen situation before him, but he soon sends an expecting look at Takahashi.

"Was my order unclear?"

The older – but in rank order lower – Soul Reaper stiffens and let's go of Sophie who slumps down to the ground. He ignores her and manages to face his superior. "B-but these two are – "

"I ordered you to let them out," Byakuya cuts him off with an emotionless tone, his face hardening for a mere second. "Is there a problem?"

"N-no, sir. T-these women a-are our suspects – is it wise to let them out?"

"I will be the judge of that. Now, make haste. We have received new orders to return."

"H-huh? Already?" The older man seems to almost stumble out of the cell.

I almost stumble on nothing. If possible, my eyes are wider than the moon in the sky as I stare at Byakuya like he has grown a second head. He definitely senses that because in a few seconds he has turned his attention to me. I can't help my shock – just a few moments ago he had practically sneered at my pleading to free us. Now, he is giving an order to let us out? My thoughts are positively spinning in my head, like Ping-Pong balls from one corner to another. This scenario doesn't make sense. For a moment, I think the stress and panic have made me hallucinate and an urge to pinch myself comes over.

This is either his clone, or the world is ending. The latter seems highly likely.

The boy's dark eyebrows knit down in a slight glare, looking at me like something he stepped on. I might feel slightly insulted if I was not still thinking that all of this isn't happening. _Did he hit his head? No, is he sick? Did he catch something from this place? _

Maybe I should be feeling relief. Sophie and I are out of danger. However, a nagging feeling in the back of my skull won't stop telling me that there is something fishy going around here.

I can't phantom any _logical _explanation for this sudden change in his mood.

* * *

_Somehow, the reason should have been obvious. _

* * *

"Thank goodness!"

The minute the sun shines on my face, the bell-like voice makes our ears tingle. It is light, full of relief and tears. I and Sophie freeze after taking only a few steps out of the prison door. We are both dirty, the smell of the cells clinging to our clothes, faces, and bodies bruised over by rough handling, but moderately we are both fine. Our eyes are blinded by the painful shine of the day…

But most of all, we are blinded by our stinging eyes at the sight of Hisana standing just a few feet away.

She looks ready to fall apart. One tear manages to escape from her eye before she takes a few steps towards us… and crashes against our bodies. Those frail arms of hers circle us with all of her feeble strength.

"I… am so glad," she whispers, clinging to us. "You two… are alright. I-I was so worried."

We do not say anything. The dampness appearing on our shoulders is more than enough to get the message through. In a second, Sophie has her arms around her, both of their shoulders are shaking. Soon, I smell the salt of their tears in the air and my own eyes start stinging. _We are alright. They are both alright. _

Slowly, I wrap my arms around both of my friends, leaning my forehead against Hisana and shedding my small tears on top of her shoulder. The bone of it digs into my skull but is filled with the warmth of another person's body that those cells didn't have. The smell of tears mixes together with the small girl's sweat and the scent of sandalwood. This is the smell that brings comfort and wipes away the horrible images of that stinky smell.

Feeling strange, like we are being looked – we are kind of making a scene – I lift my head slightly from the hug, eyes unfocused in the light and from tears. From the corner, I can see that Byakuya is standing there, saying something to Takahashi in a stern voice. I do not care about that.

What I care about is the moment he turns those steely grey eyes towards us – three, random, crying women bundled up into a ridiculously teary group hug.

It is obvious. The way that crease between his brows seems to soften, how that ice in his orbs almost trembles and melts. But what most wouldn't probably realize is that his expression doesn't change from looking all of us together. You would have to know better to understand that, though. And I am someone who does.

He looks almost gentle.

I follow his line of sight and find myself staring at short black hair which shorter strands are tickling my cheek. Hisana continues to cry, but my tears are starting to dry up.

_Of course. _

From instinct, my hold tightens. Particularly around the shorter girl.

* * *

_The answer is a simple one._

* * *

_(Back to present.)_

"That is it! You will be without dinner! Hisana-chan, don't stop me!"

The sound of commotion and sight of my bowl being taken snap me back to reality. My gut growls in protest immediately. I lunge at Sophie, who is in the middle of dumping my food back to where it came from.

"Hey! That's mine!"

"There is a saying; those who don't speak, don't get to eat!"

"There is no way that that kind of saying exists!"

"It does now!"

"I am hungry!"

Hisana's head snaps between us in helplessness. It is like watching a match of tennis and she seems ready to slump from dizziness. Rarely, we quarrel seriously at all, but we might as well be heading towards that direction. Sophie is actually physically keeping me back.

_Again, why is she so upset? _I wonder while reaching out for my share of the food. It is being balanced by her one hand and I am afraid it might soon tip over. This argument isn't worth wasting food.

"Urgh! Why are you angry!? I am a victim here too, you know!" I huff and lean back, giving the blonde woman a slight glare.

She returns the look with one of her own, which is less effective given how flushed her cheeks and eyes appear. "Why am I angry? Why am I angry!?"

"Yes! Why are you so angry!?"

The blonde inhales deeply, opening her mouth to tell me the reason… however, nothing further past that point happens. Sophie only turns rigid, mouth open, but with no sound coming out or words forming on her lips. It is like a moving image has frozen in place. The sight of it is enough to make me react similarly.

Hisana and I exchange silent glances at one another and then at Sophie whose gaze is unfocused on the ground. It is worrisome – one moment the person is raising her voice and has more than enough energy to glare and then turn into mutes.

As if touched by the fire keeping the broth warm, she suddenly leans back and shakes her head. "Why am I getting so angry exactly?"

There is a drop in the atmosphere. _That is exactly what I would like to know! _

Contrary to my exasperated expression reflecting my mood, Hisana's soft chuckle fills the place and brings both of us to look at her. The warmest blanket in this entire hut is tightly wrapped around her small frame. Seeing our stares, she covers her curling mouth with the back of her hand bashfully. A healthy blush returns some color to her cheeks.

"I think we are all exhausted enough from today," she starts solemnly and then pats the seat next to her – the spot where I always sit and eat. "But I would truly like to hear how you managed to become acquainted with that young Soul Reaper."

Translation: _stop being so stubborn and come here. _Or maybe not that bluntly. I almost frown from how that doesn't sound like her but give in to her unspoken words and gesture. The second I sit down, like a sign for the rest, Sophie takes her original spot on the other side of Hisana with a small frown on her face. It is clear she still wants to have answers, too.

So, I tell them. I tell them about the day – which was not so long ago – when I tried to chase after a thief that had taken from Genji's stand without paying and how I had been tackled to the ground out of nowhere by the very same boy they saw today. The entire time they listen, my hands turn clammy and cold. I am wondering what they think, as the story continues on and on. Their expressions can tell me only so much – eyes widening, mouth opening and ogling at me like I have grown a new limb. In a few moments, my face turns a bit red. It may not be the most ideal thing to tell, that you insulted and have cheated a Soul Reaper the way I did.

It could be possible that the neighbors are hearing everything I am saying, but that thought only fleetingly crosses my mind, as I babble on without a stop. This is always what happens – I get nervous and frogs just keep on flying from my mouth. Honestly, it is all because I am anxious about how they would respond after I have told everything.

Thankfully, neither of them interjects nor gives a side comment in an attempt to stop me. Finally, I finish speaking and my tongue numbs.

"Wow," Sophie breathes out and I tense up. Unlike me, she appears totally relaxed all of sudden. "Here I thought I have heard every crazy story there is."

"Eh?" I blanch.

_No reprimanding words how stupid I have been? No crying over the fear of being driven out of the house? Not worrying if those Soul Reapers come back here, again? _Of all possible reactions from the blonde, this is not anywhere close to what I had in mind.

As if concluding something that she only is aware of, Sophie nods once to herself and starts eating her share of the broth. "That is not the worst scenario I imagined."

I narrow my eyes. "What exactly have you been imagining?"

She looks at me with no shame whatsoever. "I honestly thought you might have started earning extra money."

For the second time, I blanch. After knowing Sophie for a certain amount of time, you learn to sometimes how to read between the lines. I am not a blushing girl whose mind is made out of snow and rainbows either, but that doesn't still stop the heat from spreading across my face before turning pastel white. And I am not imagining what the blonde girl means either. It is obvious from that subtle tilt of her eyebrow and a slight, unabashed smirk spreading on her thin lips.

Hisana merely tilts her head innocently, not fully comprehending the hidden message. Her wide eyes merely look between us – that happens a lot lately – in total obliviousness.

"He. Is. A. Kid," I hiss, disturbed and disgusted. _Not to mention a spoiled brat. _

"He looked to be around Hisana-chan's age, though," she states and looks at the said girl with a small smile. "Now, whatever did you do to turn his head around?"

"Um, I," Hisana's gaze bounces around. The action only makes my face sour and Sophie's brighten. "I merely asked him to help you."

"Hoho. Mira-san did the same, but the result was different."

She probably doesn't realize what a blow her words cause. My shoulders drop and my gaze falls to the floor. I never want to go through that experience. She is right. My begging had given rise to no results and nearly cost us.

Like sensing my thoughts, the petite girl next to me leans closer and looks up at me with eagerness. "But he didn't seem to be a bad person. Could you tell me where I could possibly find him next? I would like to express my gratitude."

Something in my chest drops at the sight of her pure, intrigued question. It could be my overly vivid imagination running amok, again, and it doesn't stop me from frowning, but… _She couldn't possibly be… _I take in her face, there is no flush or blush on the tip of her cheeks nor star-like glitter in her eyes. Only pure admiration, if that is the right way to call it.

_Not good. _I want to reach out and shake her back to the surface of the ground from whatever clouds she is swimming in. _It can't happen yet. _I push those words to the back of my mind, the darkest part of it.

"Pft!" Sophie snorts, covering her mouth with her sleeve. "As if she knows where the squirt runs. Honestly, he is definitely one of those snobby types, but… hey, Hisana-chan, he isn't that bad looking."

"Eh?" She turns to her in confusion and tilts her head.

It is like cold water has been dropped down on top of me. "Sophie-_san, _please don't put any ideas into Hisa-chan's head."

"But just think, if she has him wrapped around her little finger – "

"Oh, the food is getting cold," Hisana comments offhandedly and we all look at the liquid swimming in the bowl.

The fire has died out and the smoke is getting thinner.

* * *

_Just how long can the fire burn in this place?_

* * *

"G'night," Sophie mutters, head hitting the cushion she has made from an old kimono and filling the air with snores soon afterward.

She has fallen asleep. Again, not surprising considering what she has been through. The vigor has been shaken from her body, and she is not even in the mood to go out to take any customers. Someone did come knocking a few moments ago but ran away as soon as the blonde had growled her disapproval. She hadn't even bothered to check or clarify if they had been a good customer of hers. That is a sign large enough to tell us that the blonde needs to be left alone.

_Don't touch me. I will bite, I will kick and scream, if you dare, _is what the small lump seems to tell us.

Similarly, I lay down, glad to have been changed out of that ruined kimono and crawling under the thin blanket I never thought I would be missing this much. Hisana must be thinking along the same lines because a content look crosses her face.

This is pure bliss – us three safe and sound.

_It could have been worse, _I think, frowning from the memory of being tied up, beaten and now feeling the bruises on my skin. Then, there is the sight of a pale, black-haired girl with purple eyes that won't leave from my head no matter how I lay and empty my mind.

"Hisa-chan," I whisper softly, quietly not to wake our other roommate up.

She hasn't fallen asleep just as quickly and opens her eyelids. "Yes?"

"I am sorry for running off like that," I say guiltily and look down at her pale hand. It is filled with scratches and I take it into my own. The skin feels cool under my touch, but mine must be no different. "I shouldn't have left you alone."

Her hold tightens around my hand. It is a firm hold. "It is alright. I am just happy to have you and Sophie-san back."

"… I am sorry, for still smelling like dirt, I mean."

She looks momentarily surprised but then chuckles. I like that sound, she is happy. "Mira-san, you don't smell worse than me."

I smile a bit and look down at our hands. Hers is so thin compared to mine. "I should have at least told you two what really has been happening to me."

"You didn't want us to get worried, am I right?" She asks and grasps our linked hands with her free one.

"I wish that this mess with Soul Reapers would end already."

"All is well now."

_Is it though? _

Surprisingly, I manage to keep a neutral, tired face. However, the ends of my eyebrows twitch momentarily. It is a subtle change and Hisana doesn't notice it. She has no idea that I am recalling the moment we were freed, and she hugged us, or how I remember the look Byakuya held. It all mushes together into a nasty headache and I lace our fingers together. This is a familiar act. She used to do the same to me after we first met – every time I was frightened at night.

As if remembering the same thing, her fingers tighten around mine even further. It makes things feel normal, like nothing of the disaster and nightmares from today ever happened. For a second, I feel at peace. The sound of Sophie's soft snoring offers comfort, too.

Nonetheless, I can still feel the gut-wrenching sensation in my gut. There is an unexplained emotion stirring in my chest, bittering the surface of my tongue with acid that threatens to come out. But not in front of Hisana, not when she is making this happy face. Even while covered in dirt and bruises, the three of us are happy. It is clear from how it reflects in our everyday chores and how we talk together in the evenings…

But sometimes I wish I could shatter it.

* * *

My feet feel heavy. They drag themselves across the familiar, dirty road up and down the district like they have been doing for a long time. Still, they are suddenly made of lead. The vase filled with river water feels unusually heavy, as well. As if the upturning road is sucking the life out of me and my muscles with every small step.

It is awful.

This is definitely a draught season. If it still isn't, it is starting at least. The sun hasn't stopped beaming down in the city like everything is right for it. The smell of quickly spoiled food fills the air many times, and currently, nothing is different. Having worked here for a while, I know that the stand selling fish from the river is having a stroke of bad luck keeping the product appealing enough for buyers – the putrid smell of the water creatures enters my nostrils.

"Finally, you-lazy-turtle-who-never-arrives-on-time," Genji insults the very second, I make it back to his place. "Hurry up and bring it in! Customers need water."

"I am pretty sure many others need some, too," I mutter, inching for an opportunity to wipe the sweat from my forehead.

"Hm? What was that?"

"Nothing, sir," I say and pour the liquid down a box set on the side. It is filled with grains of sand and beneath it, there are more layers of it together with thin pieces of fabric.

This is the reason why the water I bring all the way from the river sells well. While other people who buy basic river water, or something resembling it from attempted purification, Genji's water is thoroughly cleaned from basic impurities. It is a trick he supposedly learned from someone a long time ago, but he never tells anything beyond that. A trade secret – even I don't know if all the sand and fabrics are all that there is to it.

Still, I would like to learn the secret, as well. For one, I could make drinking water on my own instead of buying it from him every time. No matter what I do for him, the old man is stingy.

"What are you standing around there for? Hurry up and bring another in," he orders gruffly and guards as the water pours down from a small pipe connected to the box and into another container.

I let out a sigh, stretching my stiff back. "Give me a break. It is so hot out there."

"It is no better than in here," he states and then glares at me. "Didn't I tell you to hurry it? Because of you being absent the other day, my back is hurting again!"

"Well, I am _terribly_ sorry for being arrested and having my life threatened," I snark back, but dodge a flying object. "Quit throwing your vases at me! Don't you need them for – ack! I said stop it!"

"Get moving already!"

"No need to shout – "

The air is pierced by a glass-shattering scream. It rips the fabric of the putrid air and leaves it to shreds – it is the sound of a dying animal. We both stiffen, wincing from the volume and I quickly make my way to the front where there is a direct sight to the street. It isn't just us, other people have also frozen on their spots and some are only recovering from the pain in their eardrums.

It is kind of like looking at an old painting. Nobody moves and their eyes are strained towards one direction only.

I look and wish I didn't. A man lays kneeling on the ground, the crowd around him disbanding, as if afraid to come in contact with him. The reason is obvious – tears are streaming down his face, the neck craned up in an unnatural angle, the scream coming from his throat heart-wrenching. He is pale, deadly so, which is only highlighted by the bright red color staining his clothes and the person he is holding. I can barely see long, undone black hair and a stray hairpin sliding down those strands until it hits the ground with a faint tingle.

They weren't there before. The trail of red comes out of a single house, ending on the spot the man is sitting on. His hands are clutching the head of the woman he is holding. Her features undistinguishable underneath the blood. Her kimono is loose, but the same liquid covers her every limb, making it hard to catch a sight of skin tinted in blue shades. Not to mention, the scarlet lashes covering her limp arms and legs are painfully obvious.

"_Somebody help her!"_

"Get back in here!" Genji's voice snaps at me and soon he pulls me back to the shadows of his shop.

I do not curse or yell back at him. Rather, I am a statue, looking at nothing while still seeing the sight I just witnessed. The picture of the weeping man and the woman's corpse simply have been branded into my head. Just like how the floating body lulling down the river. _It is happening again._ My hands are coated in that same shade of red.

"Who was that?" I ask quietly, turning slowly to face the grave face of the old man standing near the door. His back is turned to the street, hands hidden, but definitely clenching into fists, inside his sleeves.

At my question, he turns those steely eyes up. "Why are you asking me?"

_Because you know every person living around these parts, _I want to whisper._ Because you look like you might throw up. _

"Just assuming," I say and look over his small stature.

There are two men conveniently standing in front of the shop. And I can hear perfectly how one of them says in a low voice: "Another one." His friend hits his side with an elbow, clearly signaling for him to be quiet. Two words are enough, though, and cause the gears in my head to move.

"This has happened before?" I ask again, looking back at Genji who walks to sit down on a small stool. He watches the water pour down from the cleaning box again.

"When you were gone, another body was found at the end of this street," he explains, voice void of any shaken emotion clearly presented on his wrinkly face. His lips form a thin line. "The man outside is called Heisuke."

The name sounds familiar and I figure out in a few moments why. He is the same man who comes regularly here and gives even the old and grumpy Genji a bright smile. He is also the one who loves to boast about his wife – his beautiful and sweet and hard-working partner – for whom he went to work for at the district border to get enough money for their… _oh. _

Just a week ago, he had spoken to me.

It was just like usual and I barely listened to his excited ramblings. However, I do remember how he mentioned, with the proudest grin I have ever witnessed on a young man's face, that soon he would become a dad.

"He only came from work this morning," Genji says, like reading my thoughts. "Probably offered to take an overnight shift to get a few extra coins in his pockets."

_Something he definitely regrets now._

Everything fades. I do not feel a single thing, nor do I feel like it is getting hard to breathe. I merely stand, half-hearing the loud noises coming from outside through the buzzing in my ears. This is almost close to what had happened when I discovered the mutilated body in the river. I lose the sensations in my legs and arms. They have been sore and stiff since the moment I woke up, but now I wish that they would start hurting again. Instead of living and breathing flesh, I turn into a marionette, something that waits for someone to give an order. I have no words forming in my head either.

I want to _feel_ something – a sensation or emotion, anything. Finally, the voice in my head starts to work. _His wife is dead, the child… _All the blood dripping down to the ground makes sense now. In one moment, he has lost _everything. _

_No. _

Now, the bile that didn't rise up before climbs up my throat. I swallow thickly, touching my hands for some reason. Maybe to keep me calm? _Am I not calm? _They are cold and wet. For a second, I see them touching the clear river before it was stained in red. I recall the stains of that color sticking to my clothes, how even the water could not erase them anymore. The same thing will happen to Heisuke's kimono as well. The blood of his family won't be washed away.

What a cruel, cruel world.

The corners of my lips twitch up in disbelief. I do not even realize how my eyes finally sting and a tear slips down.

_It is alright. _

Genji doesn't stop me, when I mechanically, almost inhumanly, turn away and block my ears from the cries. I crouch down and take the vase I was carrying earlier. The tears won't stop, but I can scarcely feel them slide down my cheeks. Only when I step outside and feel the warm sun caressing my head does a single whimper bubble out of my throat.

_Turn away. _

A few blocks down towards the river, I end up dropping the vase and throwing up in a corner. A crack has appeared on the ceramic and a small chip of it falls off.

_Forget what you saw… like you always have. _

* * *

"Mira-san!"

I lift my head, eyes widening in surprise. Until this point – at some random street down from my job and almost next to my house – I have kept my gaze on the ground. It has been strange. A dark cloud has been pressing my head down this entire time. It has not relented for a second, so I have missed the way the sky has turned into golden orange and pink clouds float like sugared treats.

Sophie and Hisana are standing at the end of the road. The former waving at me with a tired grin and the latter smiling with groceries held in a basket by both of her hands. They are both there, waiting for me to move my suddenly frozen feet.

"Hurry up!" Sophie orders, not minding the strange look people shoot at her. Not minding the shadows under everyone's eyelids, or how their stares linger on the bruises covering her body. "I am famished!"

I release a breath I have been holding back unconsciously. It is soothing and I start walking again, slowly. The town smells of the moist evening – it isn't the smell of metal or putrid fish. The smell of my home enters my nose, tingling my sense over and over again until I sprint the rest of the way to my friends. As soon as I am close enough, their smells are carried by the wind. Sandalwood and fabrics on Hisana from the clothing store, perfume and sweat on Sophie from her work.

Then, there is me. The hem of my kimono has still small water blemishes on it, the tips of my fingers are icy from being soaked many times in the rushing liquid. The ends of my hair drip with the same water I soaked myself in. _I smell like the river. _

I stop in front of them and Sophie raises an eyebrow. "What's up with that expression?"

"…Nothing. Tired."

"Well, let's go home then," Hisana says and raises the basket she is holding. "I couldn't get any fish, but the radishes look good."

I force a small smile. She has no idea how glad I am that she couldn't get any fish on the table.

* * *

"This is so good!" I hum and let the soft _dango_ practically melt on my tongue before chewing and swallowing.

Hisana takes a bite out of hers and smiles. "Kusanagi-san was most kind when giving these for us."

"Well, seeing that she often visits _your_ shop it is no wonder," I tease and take another taste.

She blushes a bit, flustered. "I wish I could work more, though."

"Hey, your body is frail, and we all keep telling you not to push it," I say and then frown. "If only Sophie would listen to that advice, too."

At the mention of our friend, we both think of the blonde who left in haste this morning with her makeup and hair done. It is different to look at when the day has broken out and the sun shines down on her. She looks like any other young woman walking around the place, ready to go to work and return later. It doesn't change the fact that she goes off to sleep with men. The only difference now from before is that she does service during the day.

After waiting a week for her bruises to heal, this is what she came up with to keep herself safer. We are glad – both Hisana and I – that she decided to change her schedule. People have started to notice, how the piling of random corpses has started to agitate the Soul Reapers. Their patrols are now more frequent than a week before if that is even possible. Especially after rounding people up for questioning, many have started to spread rumors.

Even now, as we sit on a bench in front of the dark-haired girl's workplace, a few men wearing black walk past us. Their appearance is menacing, and I almost choke on the food.

_They are being too obvious. _Don't they get that stirring public unease isn't too good of a strategy?

"On that note, I think we both deserve a little break. How about I will go ahead and ask that old Genji some free supplies of water to make a decent bath for us three?"

Reluctantly, I lift my hand from her head, while she turns to look at me with wide eyes. "I am not sure… whether we could bother Genji-san with such amount."

I snort. "Trust me, he has enough supplies to last through winters. A few missing from stock will only earn me an earful."

"But – "

"No buts. I have been shedding tears and blood for the job – I deserve it!" I nod in confirmation more to myself rather than to the purple-eyed girl. _Hopefully, he won't murder me later, though. _

Hisana is about to say something else but stops when her eyes trail off to something behind me. Her expression freezes. "It is him."

"What!?" I jump off from my seat and round her, hiding my larger frame behind her like a child next to her mother's skirt. "I-I wasn't going to steal those jars! Please forgive me, Genji-san!"

"What?" Hisana looks at my cowering form – seriously, I am shaking – and chuckles, shaking her head. "No, no. It is the young Soul Reaper from last week."

"Huh? Oh, thank god," I let out a heavy sigh, momentarily leaning my forehead against her shoulder. "Don't scare me like that. I thought that for a moment – wait, what?"

Instead of speaking, she points towards where she is looking instead. Slightly sweating from the mute answer, I follow the end of her finger towards a corner of a street just on the other side of the road we are resigning in. There, next to a building, stands a group of Soul Reapers who are standing in a straight line and listening to one person in front of them with stern faces.

Byakuya's face is as icy and bossy as I remember. The sight of him giving orders while being mostly shorter than others could be almost comical, if not for the cold sensation of my gut dropping. The memories of our last meeting bring back that stench of the cell I stayed in. _Oh no, red alert, red alert!_

Forgetting about the treat I was enjoying a moment ago, I grab my petite friend and nudge her to stand up. "Quick. He has not noticed us yet. Let's make a run for it."

"W-what's the matter, Mira-san?" Hisana asks in total confusion and actually resists a bit.

I shake my head. "Trust me. He shouldn't spot us."

"Why?" She continues asking and turns to look at me with wide doe eyes. "I would at least want to thank him for his help."

_I am pretty sure that short stick couldn't care less, _is what I want to say. I can't even bring myself to tell her what lies beyond that authority façade he has on. "He seems busy, so we shouldn't bother him."

"But…" she trails off and looks over her shoulder for a moment. "I really would like to express how grateful I am to him."

_Damn. Not those puppy eyes. _Internally, I cringe. Whether she realizes it or not, the black-haired girl will always wear this same, sympathetic expression whenever she feels troubled or is down. It is the same face that has gotten even Genji's resolve to crumble a few times. However, when she uses it one me – again, probably unconsciously – it isn't as fun. Especially when I am currently trying to steer her from a dangerous idea.

Besides, I would rather not be at the end of his ire again. _But Hisana has not gotten on his bad side, yet. _

"They do seem busy, though," I try again, though, my voice falters in desperation. I just want to get out of here.

She frowns softly and looks down at the ground. "I guess the recent deaths are the reason."

"Yeah," I say lamely, hold on her loosening. The topic souring the mood, I no longer think about running. "It is kind of strange – don't they realize that it is making us nervous?"

For small comfort, she places her hand on mine. "I am sure there is an explanation for this."

_Or none at all. _My lips form a thin line. It is like the entire mass of men and women have lost their heads in a panic and are moving on based on their own fears and predictions. This is not a strategic move made with caution – not that it is any of my business. But maybe that squirt acting all high and mighty could know more… I immediately shake my head. No, that would be a bad idea.

"You again."

A literal stream of rainbow-colored words burst out of my mouth, gathering some strange and startled looks from the strangers passing by and walking on the end of the street. My heart – the very large organ made of muscle that pumps blood all over the body – feels like it jumps up to my throat.

"_Jear-Desus-son-of-Patty –" _

I cut myself off before any more of unintentional wording can come out. The girl next to me has already winced and is holding her ear like it is bleeding. The dark-haired boy standing only a few feet away appears to be in a similar condition, as far as the grimace on his features is considered.

The back of my throat clogs. A pin could drop and the noise of it would be as loud as a thunder. The expression of shock widens my eyes to a painful level and when I can finally think clearly, I am already sprinting down the road, not really giving a thought about anything. My body is screaming for me to get away from Soul Reapers as fast as possible – particularly the one with short stature and stormy grey eyes.

"Oi!"

"Mira-san!?"

"I forgot to do something!" I yell, not looking back. "Just go home without me!"

* * *

Sophie is looking down at me with disapproval.

"You left Hisa-chan _alone_?"

"Well, _technically_ she is not alone. That Soul Reaper boy is with her."

"Oh, and I suppose that makes it alright for you to leave like that?"

"He hates me – we would have gotten into trouble if I had stayed."

"So, you ran with a tail between your legs, expecting him to treat her like a gentleman?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have a tail. And I repeat: he won't harm her."

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because Hisa-chan is so charming."

Her glare turns murderous at my light-hearted attitude.

"Remind me which one of us is older again?"

I laugh at her disgruntled face but turn solemn when her mood won't change. Instead, I pat a spot next to me on the floor and look out of the window. Whether she chooses to sit next to me or not is up to her alone. In the end, she chooses to stand, and we remain like that, in silence. It is still bright outside, so the faint noises of the day give some life to the small house with only one room.

Honestly, there is not a single part of me that worries for our young friend. As long as she is with that black-haired boy, she will be fine. Although, I did not plan to ever leave them alone like that. I hadn't even expected to run into him out there the way we did. _Why is he even patrolling these parts repeatedly anyway?_ The question bothers me, but I brush it off in favor of thinking of Hisana and how she is doing. When I ran, the thoughts of what could happen between them barely graced the surface of my mind.

_She is fine. _

I close my eyes, playing with my tattered sleeves.

_This is how things should be. _

My fingers feel clammy and I wipe them against the rough fabric. I blame the heat. I also blame my dinner for the twisting in my gut.

_I am just…_

I bite down on my lower lip. It stings and the dry skin cracks.

_I am just speeding up the process. _

* * *

I have a strange feeling that this has happened before. The sensations I am gathering are the same ones I got from the time I tried to catch a thief. That one act of kindness ended up biting me on the ankle, so to speak. I ended up being tackled on the ground, tasting dirt and getting on the bad side of one temperamental brat.

Now, one act of giving two teenagers some space has definitely come punching me back on the face. Hisana is standing inside our modest home, hands clammed together at front in a nervous manner and next to her a taller boy glances around the dust-covered ground disdainfully. He does hold his tongue, but it is obvious how uncomfortable and out of place he is. It may not help that he is wearing those dark Soul Reaper robes and how some people are curiously peeking inside the house just to get a glance.

Clearly aware of the small audience, I walk over to the window, send a sharp warning look at the neighbor children who scatter away immediately and close the curtains.

"You know," the blonde girl starts from her place on the ground. Unlike the rest of us, she is completely calm and lays down at her side with a thoughtful look on her face. "I never thought you would be bringing boys home this early, Hisa-chan."

The purple eyes widen and then lower. "S-sophie-san," she says and tries to sound admonishing, but the embarrassment is too plain to see on her flushed face.

Byakuya's lips thin, but even through his glowering, the tips of his cheeks and ears glow with red. The sight would be amusing if I was not both confused and worried about the fact that he is even standing here. Even Hisana appears anxious for some reason and that only adds to the amount of suspicion I am feeling. And it is not the good kind. Sophie's teasing does not amuse me, it does not amuse anyone in here.

Still, the young Soul Reaper does not open his mouth or do anything beyond giving a mean look at the leisure blonde. This is where my worries intensify – a silent, spoiled, bratty kid is never a good sign.

I walk next to Sophie to get some comfort and look at the two youngsters while pursing my lips. "So… what is this all about?"

The pair look at one another and I stiffen. There is a silent message being passed around here and my stomach turns around for some reason. Funny, this is the same feeling I get moments before I run away from something.

"Well," Hisana starts and looks away from Byakuya, facing us with uncertainty, "he requires assistance."

"For what?" Sophie asks the question echoing in both of our minds.

For the first time, the young boy steps forward with his shoulder stiff and face a hard mask. He is obviously trying to keep his features as smooth as possible. "If I tell you the details, can you swear to secrecy?"

Both Sophie and I look at each other. She raises one light eyebrow and I do the same, shrugging. When we turn to the pair, Hisana is looking at us with a silent plead in her eyes. It is a small sign that she wants to offer her assistance to him, at least. _But why are you dragging us into this, _is what I would ask if the subject of my headaches and worries weren't standing here.

"Depends on what you are going to tell us," Sophie says and stands up next to me. Tousling back her hair a couple times, the young woman looks at the shorter boy with a pointed look. "We can stay silent if what you tell us is going to endanger our safety. Seeing that Hisana is the one who brought you here, we will also consider staying silent."

"Sophie-san, Mira-san," Hisana steps forward and walks to us with a frown on her worried face. "I implore you to listen to him. We must not let what he tells us to get outside these walls."

I raise an eyebrow again and the blonde next to me mimics that gesture. Slowly, she looks at the black-haired boy, before leaning in and whispering. "He is not going to ask us to sleep with his comrades, right?"

A strange noise between an outrageous shout and a choke comes from Byakuya. His already milky white face turns into pale snow, lips thinning to the point they resemble a fine scar-line on his skin. Still, he does not do much else. From beneath those large sleeves, though, his fingers are clenching into tight fists and I bite down on my lower lip.

If we keep on pushing his buttons like this, he might explode.

Hisana gasps and shakes her head. "N-no, certainly not!"

"Just messing with you," Sophie winks with a small chuckle. "Mira-san, what do you think?" She suddenly asks me and leans closer to whisper: "This is what you get for leaving them alone."

I turn into stone, before whipping my eyes to give her a small glare. The younger woman merely shrugs her shoulders and gives me a derisive smile. I can't get further mad, though. There is a sudden urge to sigh in the back of my throat – _she's right. _

I have brought this upon myself.

Hisana's hopeful gaze is now fully focused on me. She either knows or unconsciously is aware of how I can't say no to those kinds of eyes. She is naturally a kind girl who can't exactly say 'no' to many things, especially those in need. However, she does not lack common sense. What I am worried about – if what I have seen is what I think it is – is that this new 'infatuation' of hers has altered that voice of reason. Getting more than enough involved with a Soul Reaper screams bad news. It is basically common knowledge around these parts.

Either way, I am sweating bullets here.

I chew my lower lip, struggling not to break immediately after the decision making is entrusted to me. This is a delicate matter. I can't tread these waters carelessly. If I say yes, will Byakuya say something that we have to get involved or can we brush it off and continue on with our lives? Hisana, obviously, will feel guilty from such rejection, seeing that it is her who willingly brought him here.

_But why ask for help from her? _Suddenly, Sophie's suggestion for prostitution doesn't seem so ridiculous, but I brush it off. This kid is too proper and stiff for someone his age to even allow such a thing to cross his mind.

For the first time, I look at those silver-gray eyes of his. He is still clearly uncomfortable – maybe his pride is damaged from asking help like this – but there is a seriousness to him, too. Despite being a few inches shorter, the expression he wears reminds me a bit of an adult man. The look does not suit someone with such youthful features. I have an urge to smoothen out that frown between his brows.

"Alright," I sigh and ignore the hopeful glimmer in purple orbs. "But first, ground-rules. We do not make an agreement unless both parties are satisfied."

The boy's frown deepens, but there is a hint of surprise in his eyes. Giving a small, curt nod for me to continue, I look at my two friends for a moment before returning the attention to our guest.

"First," I raise an index finger, "whatever you will tell us – good or bad – will remain between the four of us," I say and raise another finger. "Second, we have the right to decline whatever it is that you need. And third, you will give us your word on your _honor_ that you will agree with these terms."

"And what of you?" He asks back, nose raised in the air. "What proof will I have that you agree on the first term."

"You don't," I say bluntly and gesture at the two girls and myself. "We live in a place where survival is everything. Like Sophie here said, if this information you are going to give endangers our safety, we will keep quiet. Our mouths remain tightly shut if it is like that. So, it is basically up to you to decide whether you want to tell us anything, or not."

Asking our full silence is too much. If there is anything, I have learned from Genji over the time that he has been my employer is that make sure to leave an opening to agreements, in business and in life generally. That way you can safeguard a benefit for yourself. Especially in a place like this.

"So, do we have a deal?" I ask and stand a bit taller.

Byakuya's face is twisting. He is not very good at hiding his emotions. It may as well do more with his boisterous temperament than a lack of experience, or both. At first, he looks flabbergasted at my honest reply and a bit offended, too. For a small second, I fear that he might explode from my 'rude' behavior, but the opposite occurs. He actually pauses and looks to be thinking of something.

If you think of it, he has already dragged himself here, get involved with me more than once and now Sophie and Hisana are here. His rank as a Soul Reaper and someone from a high background have obviously been dragged more than once through the muds of this district. Both figuratively and literally.

I manage to hold back a smile spreading on my face, as the look in his eye changes. He has no escape from this one.

He looks me directly in the eyes. "Fine. I will give my word to agree on these terms."

"On your honor."

His jaw clenches, but he does stand taller. "I, Kuchiki Byakuya, pledge on _my_ honor to agree on these terms."

I nod, though my throat feels a bit dry. "Good. Then, we have a deal."

_Oh, my gosh. He agreed! Wait, he agreed? He agreed! _I half-pat myself on the back and half-give the credit to Hisana who has mostly stood next to me and Sophie. Now, she has a small smile on her face, looking absolutely relieved that this part has gone well. I am sure it is because of her presence that Byakuya is being this… mild, so to speak. He has not even sneered at me in disgust yet.

"Now that that is out of the way," Sophie starts pleasantly and clasps her hands in front of her. "What is it that you need our assistance for?"

Whatever weight I felt being lifted off my shoulders is back tenfold from her question. Our attention is now on Byakuya, who doesn't even flinch from the curious – more like wary from me – stares. He glances carefully to the side and I follow his gaze to the door and window.

It is strange. Usually, I love it when a breeze blows and the curtains and the straw door flap from it, but now my limbs turn rigid from the sound of it.

He is being cautious.

"My squad has been mostly focused on this area because we are in search of a certain someone."

I hold my breath like inhaling will cause a loud noise that will ruin the mood. My blonde friend and I lean in curiously, but Hisana stays mostly the same – she must have truly been informed of what this is all about. When I give a subtle glance at her way, she is clasping her hands together so hard the knuckles are turning white.

"The same man who has been responsible for the growing number of murders in this district."


	5. Chapter 5: Launching investigation

**WARNING: I admit this being the first warning I have placed in this story, despite previous chapters displaying gore and death. However, due to certain events occurring in my life currently, the following subjects are something I want to bring out before any of you proceed further. **

**This chapter contains topics ranging from human rights, people with disabilities to religion and some from the audience may be offended. All of this chapter's context is purely ****fictional**** and ****made-up****, like everything else in this story. The chapter also speaks about human cruelty, so this is the first and only warning I give to my readers. Proceed with open mind and caution – there is ****no**** need to continue if you feel uncomfortable. **

* * *

**wolfgirl232323: Thanks for leaving a comment and sorry about the wait. I finally had the time to finish this new chapter. Enjoy.**

* * *

_Feel the fury closing in  
All resistance wearing thin  
Nowhere to run from all of this havoc  
Nowhere to hide  
From all of this madness, madness, madness  
Madness, madness, madness_

_-Ruelle (Madness)_

* * *

_Fleeting Sakura Arc:_

_Chapter 5:_

_Launching investigation_

* * *

"_Twinkle, twinkle little star… How I wonder what you are…"_

_They do not dare to touch her. She is a disease to them, a stranger with hollow eyes and an airy voice. If touched, her madness will spread to them and reduce them to her state. She does not see those scorning looks, hateful glances, frightened whispers of mothers telling their children not to get close. _

_There is no destination. She either turns right or left or continues forward. Although, she has not tried going backward yet. Who knows where that would lead her?_

"_Up above the world so high… like a diamond in the sky…"_

_Her throat is parched, the voice leaving through it is as dry as sandpaper. It grinds against the flesh and is barely audible. The words are not clear, neither to her nor the people who hear them. At some points she sings them with a strong volume, but at times it falls into a whisper so quiet that the words mend together into an unclear mix. _

_She does not feel the tiny rocks on the ground pierce the soles of her feet and the scorching heat of the sun burning her scalp. That is why when someone pushes her in disgust away, she does not understand why everything has stopped moving and she is staring at the dust. _

"_Twinkle, twinkle little star… How I wonder what you are…"_

_Her shoulders shake when she tries to stand up. People think that it is a sign of how weak she is, but the strands of hair hide the curve of her lips. She is not shaking from exhaustion, but from weak laugher that can almost be heard in her mumbling. _

"_When the blazing sun is gone… When he nothing shines upon…"_

_Droplets slide down her face. They make soft landing sounds on the ground. And with each passing tear, a large crack forms in her chest. It spreads like the roots of a tree and multiplies.  
_

_She flinches, for the first time lifting her head to look up at the sky. The sun glares down, blinding the wide eyes with heat. It hurts, it feels real. She takes in a shuddering breath, lips cracking open as the whispering stops. _

_Something finally shatters. _

_She screams. _

* * *

No warning signs were predating the event when everything unfolded. The day that three Soul Reapers were discovered in a secret underground basement underneath one of the barracks – the three subjects in question were not alive, though. They had been held prisoners there, left to die.

It was by mere chance that the room had been discovered by a squad member who tripped over and fell on a small shelf, somehow triggering the mechanism that opened a door on the ground.

The state of the corpses was beyond repulsive. They laid behind wooden bars, each tried to a pole with layers of ropes that had begun to undo themselves once the bodies started shriveling up and rotting. The humid conditions only made the process quicker. However, judging by the way the flesh and soft tissues were still clinging to the bones the poor souls must not have died a long time ago. The problem was recognizing who these people were, though. Every single one's features were indistinguishable, their faces were barely sticking to their skulls.

One person threw up during the investigation when a piece of one face's flesh fell down to the ground. The smell was beyond what anyone could call tolerable. Many refused to enter the mysterious basement room. Rather, the entire building was left empty for both the investigation and from fear. No one living in it could fathom how there was such a place underneath the barracks and how it was not discovered until now.

The walls were thick, sound-proof. If the victims had screamed, there was no way anyone could have heard them.

Later on, it was clear that someone had done human experiments on the bodies, while the victims were still alive. There were cuts on bones, two of three were missing a limb, and stitches were still somewhat in place. The most obvious sign of research being done at some point in time in that cramped space were parchments of documentations and drafts.

A little over an hour after discovering the corpses during the day, the identities of the three individuals were found. This was done through discovering three uniforms buried on a swallow hole in the ground. All of them had come from three different squads. Squads four, twelve, and five.

* * *

"_Wait. So, it took them an hour to find those clothes?"_

"_Mira-san, shh!" _

"_I am just wondering how bad it smelled down there."_

"_Why are you concerned about this? They were dead; the corpses __**stink**__."_

"_Sophie, there is a method of holding your breath, you know."_

"_Oh, really?"_

"_No need to be sarcastic. Just saying that they could have worn masks."_

* * *

Strangely enough, the three people were reported missing or absent from their duties during the same week. People had been sent to look for them, but it was as if they had vanished to thin air. After discovering the bodies, it became another mystery to be solved.

How did three people from three different squads end up underneath the squad twelve's grounds?

Because the squad where the corpses were found focuses on research and development, it was first thought that the captain of the said squad had had his hands on the incident. However, this was dismissed. The man in charge has aloof and straightforwardly frank personality – if he wanted to do research on living beings, he would have done so in front of everyone's noses. This is a direct quote on how he commented on accusations.

* * *

"_That is so what a villain in a story would say."_

"_Would you give it a rest?"_

"_Oh, don't look at me like you don't also find a guy like that alarming."_

"_I have slept with worse."_

* * *

After the suspicions on the captain were dropped, everyone's focus was on the rest of the people working in squad twelve. Everyone working there has a curious It didn't take long to reveal another suspect and the tension rose.

Besides the three individuals that had gone missing and were found dead, there was a fourth person who had vanished a night before and wasn't present during an assembly. That person was noted to have been 'acting strangely' for the past few weeks by a few other squad members. None of them had put much thought to it at the time, though.

* * *

"So," I interrupt, no longer whispering, but still keeping my voice low for outsiders not to hear, "the person you and other Soul Reapers have been searching for…"

Despite appearing displeased, Byakuya gives a curt nod, arms crossed. There has been a frown on his face, as he has been explaining the situation to us calmly, but now it only deepens. "That person is currently our suspect."

"The corpses that have been appearing," Hisana trails off. She does not even need to try to lower her voice. Her words come out as small wind, hands clenched into fists against her chest and face pale and clammy. "You mean… they are…"

"Most likely another experiment subjects."

Sophie keeps quiet, but the expression she wears is grave. All four of us are like that. The air is rigid with a sudden dark cloud hanging on the ceiling and the air filled with scents of familiar streets does not enter my lungs properly anymore. I can't even think properly anymore. My shoulders feel heavy, the small house is getting smaller and the walls close in on me.

_So, that is what this has been all about. _I thought that knowing things would paint a clearer picture – and it did – but I also feared that I would wish to disappear from the face of the earth. Images of the body I saw floating in the river, the body of that one poor man's wife in the middle of the street… They were all mutilated almost beyond recognition, blood soiling everything it touched. For a second, the image of those two corpses are replaced by long blonde hair and short midnight black locks, both soaked in crimson. Both Hisana and Sophie are dead in my eyes, imagination making their eyes appear dull and void of life.

I shudder. It is like the three of us have been living on a landmine to this point. While dread settles in, I am also relieved. The latter comes from how I am realizing that it was for the best that Sophie quit doing her job nightly, and all three of us have been arriving home before the sun is down. We have all stayed firmly together.

It is official now, though. Anyone from this neighborhood could be the next victim. My hands tighten into fists, clenching the sides of my clothes. _Human experimentations… _my stomach turns around.

"Akemichi," the name comes out of my lips naturally. Strangely, I wouldn't have remembered it properly, if I was asked to say it a few hours before. Now, it has been imprinted into memory. "That's the person's name."

"Akemichi Kumotetsu," Byakuya says and gives another nod. "Now known as a former member of the research team in squad twelve. He is a wanted fugitive and a dangerous criminal."

Sophie lets out a snort. She has practically kept her lips sealed, so the noise startles me and Hisana a bit. "No need to tell us the obvious."

The young Soul Reaper's eyebrow twitches, but once again he does not rebuke anyone for showing disrespect. "We traced his whereabouts to this district. He is originally from here, so it didn't come as a surprise. The problem is that we can't seem to pinpoint his location."

"Ah. You guys need inside information then," Sophie voices out her realization and looks at Hisana. The young girl looks close to toppling over, but she merely clenches her hands until the knuckles turn white to keep an upright position.

I frown, worried that she really might faint at any moment. For some reason, that sends a strange sensation down my gut. It is close to regretting because it is my fault that they had time to talk alone, to begin with.

"Then," Hisana begins faintly, "what should we do?"

That is a question worth answering. The only downside is that our mouths remain shut. There is a clog blocking the entrance of my throat and I purse my lips silently in thought. For the second time, I feel relieved. Because Byakuya – who stands motionlessly where he is – agreed to make a deal with me, I know he won't push the issue, if we decide to wash our hands off of this mess. We have a choice to merely look away and continue on with our lives… If we will remain alive much longer.

The attacks have appeared to be random. There is really no telling who the next victim could be, or where it could center… No matter, we couldn't get away from this place even if we wanted to. The thought makes me frown, I feel bitter and want to hit my head against the wall. _I should have added more conditions, but… _

I grab a hold on Sophie's and Hisana's shoulders and steer them towards a corner. They look up at me in surprise and I send a glance towards Byakuya. "Wait there just a moment."

A small hint of amusement from his disgruntled look isn't enough to lift my mood.

"We are in danger," is the first thing that comes out of my mouth, when we settle in the shadow. Whatever mask I have tried to keep on cracks like a thin layer of old paint on a wall and crumbles away. "What if that guy comes to this part of town?"

Hisana's shoulder jolts underneath my hand and Sophie's stiffen. The latter's usually darker skin whitens considerably. "A few neighbors definitely saw a Soul Reaper enter our house…"

The shorter girl covers her mouth. "Do you think that the murderer will…?"

"T-there are a bunch of other people who have been questioned by Soul Reapers. We aren't the only ones," I say, a bit urgently, but still trying to be reassuring. Although, I am not sure if I can do it. My limbs have started shaking and I let my hands fall from their shoulders before it can be noticed.

What exactly do I want to do? Do I want to help Byakuya solve this thing? The chances of us getting any favorable results seem too good to be true. We know a few people who might have some info, but that is it. If Soul Reapers haven't figured where Akemichi is, then how could the three of us be any different?

"We can't get involved," Sophie hisses, gathering us closer as it could possibly protect us from the oncoming threat. "Th-this is crazy – insane."

I nod weakly, looking down at our feet. "Yeah… but – "

"No buts," she interrupts me sharply, a hazard look in her eyes. "I am _not _about to decrease my – our – chances of survival just because Soul Reapers can't get their noses down from high air and do their jobs properly!"

I am so glad Byakuya is out of hearing distance to really understand our frantic whispering. He would not react well to this kind of comment.

Hisana hesitates, glancing worriedly over her shoulders. She is trying to get a glimpse of our "guest". "But if they can't find him, then he must be hiding well."

"No wonder. Raiding the district and tying every suspicious person up," Sophie grits her teeth, grudge evident on her tone and voice, "is like placing signs on top of their head that said 'we are looking this person' with a picture to the boot! Of course, that Akebitchi or whatever goes immediately into hiding."

Hisana is frowning so deeply now that there is a danger of it creating permanent lines. "But if nobody stops this man, then the killings will continue."

"And what could we even do about it?" The blonde asks and bites her lower lip. "If that murderer will be watching… then we are merely dragging attention to ourselves by helping."

"We would only be giving him information," Hisana starts and places her hand on top of hers. "We would not go out and be seen with a Soul Reaper."

"Not getting involved, Hisana, means that we won't even see or talk to him," Sophie says, not unkindly, but with a hint of warning. She is clearly uneasy and afraid. There is no question that she wants Byakuya out of the house as soon as possible. That is probably why her eyes turn to me pleadingly.

Without realizing it, my eyes automatically avoid hers.

_Don't look at me like that. _

"I think…" I trail off, different plans on how to approach this flashing in my mind. Clearly, my blonde friend doesn't want to offer any assistance in this, while Hisana is eager to give a helping hand. It should not be too hard of a decision for me, but it is like this is becoming a tug war that I am in the middle of.

This is not how I imagined things to go forward. I merely want that this murderer will be caught, and this entire mess can be put behind us. No more worrying for our lives, no more fear, and terror, no more corpses left to rot for everyone to see. And most of all, I would not have to fear being separated from my little _family. _

"What if my sister dies?"

The question sends a chill down my spine. Never did I imagine feeling such coldness spreading in my chest all because of Hisana. Her voice is as soft as ever, but her face is hollowly pale and eyes wide and fearful. Like in a trance, her hands reach out for us, clutching our sleeves for support. I look down, her fingers look so frail they could be snapped like twigs.

It has been a while since _she_has been brought up. The ghost-like presence of an infant that Hisana abandoned years ago to the mercy of the streets. The one person who she has failed to find and reconnect with. Her last family member from the time she was still 'alive' and her one sole regret in this life.

Even while trying to hide it, the purple-eyed girl has obviously been searching for that small child this entire time. No matter how much bitterness fills her face from the thought of finding her – she fears that she has no right for that. Who would want to have a sister who abandoned them once? That is definitely a question she asks from herself every time. But now there is no regret or self-hated on her features, just fear for the life that she once left.

Sophie looks equally shaken but stubbornly bites her quivering lip. "C-children haven't been murdered, Hisana."

"For how long?" She asks, eyes welling up with unshed tears. "I don't… I don't want to lose you… but I don't want to lose her. N-not when I don't even know where she is."

_She could have died when you left her, _are the cruel words that I sometimes think. Sadly, I know them to hold no truth. That one child survived, lives to this day. But who is to say that won't change, if I do something about it?

"I do not have any right, but…" she chokes and closes her eyes. Tears are now falling freely. "Someone working at the fabric shop… has been killed."

The revelation makes us freeze. The noise from the outside, the sound of our breathing, all stops at once. Something inside of me shatters, too, as I look at the large drops sliding down her cheeks. Until now, I thought that the deaths at my workplace were the only ones close enough, but to learn that Hisana also has someone near to her dead… the blood in my vein's freezes.

This can't be happening to me. _Remember what your meddling has brought you: _a boy who I never wanted or dreamed of seeing in this lifetime chasing me in the streets and pushing me down, moments in a stinky and cramped prison cell and now _this_. Trouble is literally standing at my doorstep.

Hisana hasn't stopped clutching my sleeve. She should use her hands to wipe away those tears of hers.

"Sophie… Mira," she cries out softly, shoulders hunched. There is no 'san' added to how she addresses us. "I beg of you… at least allow me to help Kuchiki-dono."

"What!? You want to be dragged into this mess?" Sophie snaps and grabs her by the shoulders. Her voice has risen above the silence and from the other end of the house – which isn't a long-distance – Byakuya stiffens.

_She doesn't want to feel guilty again. _

The hand that has been holding onto my sleeve let's go.

"Wait," comes out of my mouth without a thought. The two girls turn to look at me after a silent pause. Again, something clogs my throat.

_Ba-thump! _

I may be crazy in the head – _who am I kidding? _It has been proven many times already that I have a screw in the loose somewhere within my skull. Even if my entire body is shaking – like now – cold sweat rushes down my spine – something is trailing down my back – I still manage the say the opposite of what I feel or should do.

"I can go and help him. You two can stay out of this."

"H-huh?" Sophie chokes out, letting go of Hisana and latching onto me instead. She shakes me as if to make me drop the idea from my head. "Have the two officially lost it? Think of what you are saying, Mira-san!"

I don't like the way she is shaking me, nor the teary-eyed look the girl behind her is giving us. It is all too suffocating, and I grab a hold of her hands to cease the shaking. Our eyes lock, both glaring and full of anger and irritation. She is only worried_, _but I feel like I can't breathe. What I said plays over and over in my head, but it makes no difference to what I have impulsively chosen to do.

Somehow, I can pry Sophie's fingers off of me and take a firm hold on her wrists. "Listen – listen to me!" She freezes from the raise in volume. "Just let me do this."

"L-l-let you do this?" She repeats stutters like her tongue is caught on knots. Her entire face is perplexed.

"Firstly, I am the oldest," I start lamely. "Secondly, we owe one to the shorty over there."

Sophie shakes her head and grabs my hands in return. "We made a deal with him – you don't have to do this."

"I know. But I am doing this because I want to."

From that answer, both brown and dark purple eyes widen. The warm hands holding mine turn clammy and Sophie looks at me as if I have grown an extra head. The words have an impact on her, a strand of her hair slides in the middle of her face, but she doesn't push it back. There is nothing else in her mind than me and the answer that repeats itself in her head.

Both of the girls are in disbelief.

"There have been dead bodies appearing near Genji's stand, too," I reveal out of reflex, managing to appear nonchalant. On the inside I am anything but. "I can either sit around here being scared whenever my throat will be sliced at night – "

Hisana flinches. Sophie's eyes widen.

"Or I can go and actually try doing something. Admit it – Soul Reapers are too proud to ask someone from the inside to work for them. The fact that we have one under our roof right now is practically a miracle."

"And what could _you_ possibly do?" Sophie asks and her hold on me slackens. "Don't be stupid."

It's strange. I both agree and am offended by her last statement.

"As I said, you two don't have to help him. If you are so afraid, you don't have to get involved with him anymore."

At my words, Hisana's lips part. "Aren't you afraid, Mira-san?"

The question strikes me a bit odd. Am I afraid? If only she knew how badly I want to wipe away the events I have seen and been to over and over again. My heart is beating so loudly inside my ribcage that everyone should be able to hear it.

"She must have hit her head not to be afraid," Sophie answers for me and returns to glowering. "Seriously, what the hell!?"

"Shh!" I shush her angrily.

"Don't 'shh' at me," she grits out but does lower her voice again. "No, I won't allow this."

Something within me snaps. Without another word, jaw clenching, I draw her near, lips near the shell of her ear and whisper harshly. "It is really none of your business."

I let her go, and like being burned by the fire she stumbles a step back. The moment the shock on her face registers itself in my head I regret what I did. We stare at each other for a moment, both a bit staggered by this entire ordeal. I feel like I can breathe again, but my gut makes a drop once those brown eyes look away from mine.

Before I can utter anything more damaging Sophie shakes her head. She looks defeated.

"Yes," she mutters, face a rigid mask. "This really isn't any of my business."

Here we are arguing again.

The blonde shakes her head and walks past me without a word. There is a faint, cheap but fragrant, a whiff of scented oils she uses trailing after her.

For a moment, she seems to be ready to walk right out of the door but ends up sitting on a small stool. She doesn't look up or speak anymore, just broods silently. And somehow, the silence is louder than her screams ever could be.

"You don't have to do this," Hisana says and I have to tear my gaze forcibly from Sophie. "I also don't have to… but I… I want to be part of this, too."

With a small smile, I give the shorter girl a reassuring squeeze to the hand she has reached out. I do not wait for her to say anything, much like Sophie didn't wait and walk towards Byakuya next. He blinks, only aware of frantic whispers, and what seemed like an argument broke out between the three women. The young boy does not know what fully has been going on, though.

His grey eyes trail over my shoulder towards Hisana. He is probably trying to gain some clarification from her. _Too bad for him then. _

"I and Hisana over there are going to help you," I start and something lights in his eyes. I am not sure how I should feel about it. "However, we are not doing it for free."

His expression falls at the same time as his eyes harden. "There was no agreement on payment."

I raise an eyebrow and scoot back to place a hand on Hisana's shoulder. Again, the way his attention shifts to her is not missed and I start grinning like a Cheshire cat. "The _two_ of us here are going to _risk_ our necks. Surely a fair payment wouldn't be _too_ much to ask."

The blonde, shaking her head in the corner, is ignored.

Byakuya's eyes wander uneasily from me to the black-haired girl and back to me again. He seems to be in an internal turmoil, which he can't even hide well enough. Finally, though, I can see an edge of defeat in his gaze and internally cheer and give myself a pat on the back.

I give Hisana's shoulder a squeeze as a sign of gratitude for existing, even though she can't understand why I would even be grateful for her.

"Now, let's discuss the price," I chirp, feeling the heaviness of the atmosphere disbanding around myself.

_What was the saying again? Oh, yes. _

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.

* * *

It is another day, but instead of going to work…

" Better be careful. These guys can smell fear."

Byakuya lets out a noise close to scoff and an acknowledging grunt. However, no matter how tall he tries to appear next to me – which isn't much – the poor teen couldn't reach the shoulders of the shady men crowding in the back of an alley within a decade. Everyone can definitely see how his scrawny shoulders are tense and his unnaturally pale and smooth facial features stiff.

_Was there any purpose in dressing him up?_ I silently wonder, while keeping my steps natural, calm, and unnoticeable. The latter is rather hard, considering how my companion is standing out like a sore thumb.

"Will you quit fidgeting already?" I snap quietly, his mood getting to me rather too easily.

Grey eyes glare at me, but otherwise, the kid is keeping his mouth shut. It is unnerving. Hisana is not even here and he is acting like a well-behaved puppy – I am disturbed, but his anxiety mellows me down a bit. As much as he had protested and argued, when we told him to leave his sword behind, I kind of understand the reasoning behind that stubbornness.

_He feels bare. _

Instead of the black kimono, he now wears what the other locals do. A cheap rag made out of beige colored fabric and a dark obi around his willowy waist. His dark hair, though still sleek and shiny looking, has been ruffled a bit to give him a poorer appearance. But most of all, his signature sword is not attached to his hip and I catch glimpses of how his hand twitches to where it should be every now and then, reaching for the phantom object.

For some reason, he gives me an image of a puppy ready to bolt with a tail between his legs.

"You really have never been in this kind of place," I comment suddenly. I do not think much if he answers to it or not. The words just come out naturally.

As expected, he merely gives me a disgruntled glance, before looking down at the ground. The latter is another new thing – he does not dare to look up at the world around him anymore. He has lost confidence with the loss of his weapon and uniform…

I really can't believe this is the same kid who pointed a sword at me at one point.

"We are almost there," I finally sigh and don't look at his reaction anymore. I am certain he looks as close to being relieved as he can.

The place we head towards to is another run-down building. There are many of these in the district, even the one I live in is considered one. However, what makes this spot in town different is that this is where most of those who… have given up, so to say, live. You can tell from how most of the houses have already collapsed and people seek shelter from barely standing walls and cloths they have put up to create make-shift tents.

Mostly you can see who is from where through watching how people behave or are appearance-wise. The people here know that we are outsiders but sadly can't do much about it. This is where the weakest and challenged – a person is laying on the ground missing a leg, a blind woman takes support from a wall and feels her way through the streets, a man keeps on staring at the wall, mumbling and muttering something incoherent under his breath.

The sight of this place makes my throat tighten. I have an urge to cover a screaming child who has been tied up to heavy rock with rope – the parents no doubt did not know how else to make him co-operate.

Anger. If I feel anything besides numbness while walking in here, it is anger.

We step into one of the more well-kept houses and immediately the smell of something old and dry fills the lungs. It is not a pleasant scent, though, and Byakuya does not try hiding his disgust. I do not really blame him, though. Anyone would have that reaction.

I hold my hand in front of him telling him silently to stay put.

"Kiki-san?" I call out tentatively and am relieved to see an elderly woman step out though a cloth that serves as a temporary door.

If a thought that my employer is old ever crosses my mind, seeing Kiki blows it away in a second. Her eyes, although strong, have lines around them showing her age. One eyelid hangs like a bag, nearly making her blind in one eye. The steel in them tells of experiences that a young person could have never seen. The permanent scowl on those dry lips draws more attention to the misery that seems to be glued to her face. Kiki has been dragged through life if those faint scars on her calloused arms are anything to go by.

However, seeing me brings a faint, but visible light into her gaze.

"What do yah want?" She bluntly asks and scratches her side. The movement of her hand lifts the large lump on her hunched back.

Her voice has always reminded me of grinding grain.

"We need information," I say and step to the side so that she can see Byakuya more properly. "What do you know of the people who have been turning up dead recently?"

As expected, her stony exterior does not even flinch at my reckless question. The boy behind me, though, let's out a very faint noise of incredulous irritation – he clearly didn't think I would bring up the subject so plainly as I did.

The moment I step to the side, the elderly woman's sharp attention falls on him. I stifle a smirk, already seeing how uncomfortable his expression becomes the longer he is being stared at. Secretly, I think that Kiki enjoys tormenting new faces like his for fun. However, the amusement fades immediately, when she opens her nearly toothless mouth.

"What's yah name?" She asks and squints her eyes. "Yah nah from around 'ere."

Acting on a split-second instinct, I step closer to stiff Byakuya who has also been rendered speechless. "This is… Kuya."

That is obviously a fake name, the voice in my head echoes, unimpressed.

"W-what?" Of all times for him to open his mouth, he chooses to do so now with a flabbergasted face. I inch even closer and give him a sharp pat on the back of his arm. He must have enough brains to pick up the message because he swallows whatever protest he might have.

"He comes from the upper part of the district," I lie through my teeth and explain to Kiki. I feel a bit bad for lying to her, but also acknowledge that I do not want to drag her of all people into Soul Reaper business. "He works at the fabric store with Hisana – remember her?"

The old woman waves her arm impatiently. "Yes, yes. The silent lass. Why bring _him_ 'ere?"

"Kuya here has agreed to help us," I say with more truth to the words. Despite her shorter stature, my hands get sweaty. "The Soul Reapers have lately been swarming around the place and we have all been rather curious, if the deaths are linked to it."

"That should be obvious," she scoffs but halts from the sound of a groan coming from the other side of the fabric door. All three of us freeze, actually. In a second, Kiki has turned back to us sharply and points at newly dubbed 'Kuya' with her gnarly finger. "Yah, come and help meh."

I freeze together with the boy and we send uneasy looks between us. I know what she means by the help and would not be alarmed if it was anyone else than this spoiled rich boy. I put heavy emphasis on that characteristic. The concern must be heavy on my face because his shoulders start rising up from the tension.

"K-kiki-san, I can help you – "

"Nah!" She raises her hand halting me. "Yah lot want information? I will tell yah, but nah for free. The lad helps, yah go and fetch water."

"But he really – okay, okay! I will go!" I raise my arms in defeat from the murderous glare she gives me.

Byakuya looks ready to say something he will regret later on, but quicker than I ever thought of being capable, I grab his shoulders and lean in. Kiki may not have good enough eyesight or hearing, but that does not mean I want to risk it.

His eyes widen at the close proximity and touch. No doubt my greasy face and tangling locks are more than a bit disturbing for him. I ignore that in favor of acting civil and give him a stern glare with a finger raised in front of his face.

"Listen, we both need her help, and despite what you may think she is our safest and best bet at the moment. I like this just as much as you do, but this is where we are, and we must deal with it. So, you need to suck it up, man up and do as she tells you. Do _not_ be rude and screw this up," I put heavy emphasis on the last part.

Byakuya blinks and looks concernedly at the direction where the older lady is facing us with her back. He looks back at me and whispers: "_What_ is she going to make me do!?"

I raise an eyebrow at the frantic look on his face. He is making it sound like he is about to be cooked and eaten alive. I turn him around by the shoulders and give him a push. "As I said, just behave. If you don't have anything nice to say, then stay quiet – basic courtesy. She only needs your help, so _please_ behave."

He resists and tries to shrug me off. "I-I shall not – "

"She's an old lady, not a leech!"

"We only came here to obtain information!"

"And we will get it as long as we do what she tells us! Don't be such a big baby!"

"Wha – What did you just call me!?"

Kiki's greying head peeks out from behind the cloth hanging on the ceiling. "What are yah hissing like snakes for? Yah either help or – "

"He will help!" I practically yell out and shove him forward with such a force that he stumbles. Without waiting for him to recover from that I grab a nearby bucket and run out of the door. "I'll be back soon!"

* * *

Did I learn anything from the time that I left Hisana with Byakuya? No, of course not. I literally left him with an old woman whose name could be found next to 'crude' in a dictionary. That is precisely why I am in such a hurry filling the bucket with water and I would do it any second if it were not for this one _little_ obstacle.

"Five coins, otherwise no water."

My eyebrow twitches up threateningly, but the child before me merely cocks his eyebrow in silent challenge. He is not backing away from the entrance of the well or looking ready to do so anytime soon. The only boost I have right now is the thought that I have faced worse with stingy old people at the market.

"Three coins," I say and cross my arms. "That should be enough to buy you lunch."

"Five coins," he repeats stubbornly. "I've got five siblings at home, gotta help 'em somehow lady."

"Two coins," I reply monotonously.

His eyes widen. "Hey! You just lowered the price! You do not do that! You are supposed to give me more!"

"Fine, one coin," again, I say in total seriousness while maintaining a blank look, even when my ears start ringing from the shouting they receive.

"This is not how you ne-negi-negotie," he stumbles in his words, tongue-tied.

"It is 'negotiate', kid," I help and watch light lit his eyes.

"Yeah! That's it!" He stands straighter and points at me accusingly. "You are not following the district rules on trade's negotiations!"

_Of all snotty-nosed little runts I had to run into today, _I want to sigh. Still, I crouch down patiently no matter how thin my patience runs and tells me to get this over with and return before something bad happens. This action surprises him and he takes a quick step back, probably expecting me to either hit or get aggressive with him.

Judging by the reaction, those haunting eyes that seem terrified for a moment, he has been attacked before.

"One, you totally just heard those fancy words from somewhere and added them into a bundle – don't interrupt me," I raise a warning hand and his gaping mouth shuts with a 'click'. This makes me grin a bit. "Two, I am poor, much like everyone else around here, and don't have a lot of money with me. Three, five coins for well water? Please, my employer charges two coins for a jar of clean water daily and I don't see him complaining."

A silence follows with us locking eyes in a silent battle of wills. I do not take this too seriously anymore. This amuses me, for it has been a while since I have interacted with a kid who has this amount of guts. Usually I have only seen children his age stealing stuff, not demanding payment for them.

Suddenly, the atmosphere is broken by a loud rumble and the little boy looks down. Even though his cheeks are pretty red from youthfulness, they turn into rubies in a second, and his eyebrows knit together. Tentatively, he clutches the spot where the noise came from and does not lift his eyes up to meet mine anymore. The fire just a second ago is gone from him.

My lips part, as we continue staying there in silence. Despite while me being crouched down our heights are fairly similar, he still manages to look a lot smaller.

Whatever joy I got from this bickering vanishes. I clench my fists, before relaxing them in defeat. _Me and my stupid consciousness. _

"Whatever," I mutter and start rummaging through my pockets. The sound of coins perks him up a bit. "Give me your hand."

"H-huh?" He makes a confused sound but otherwise does as instructed. Start particularly shine in his eyes when I drop coins to his small palm. "T-this is…" he trails off, obviously calculating. Then, his head snaps up. "T-t-twelve!?"

"Hush!" I hiss and cover his mouth faster than he can blink. "Do you want the entire street to hear you!? Just take it and go! Eat your fill!"

Without even thanking me, he turns around and starts running with spring in his steps. I feel slightly annoyed – to put it mildly – but then my thoughts freeze from the sight of his small back. Now that he is running, the wind is ruffling his messy hair… along with his left sleeve that flaps in the wind loosely. I tried to ignore it just now, but now there is no way he can hide that. The child is missing his left arm. Not entirely uncommon in this place.

_He must have been very hungry. _

As if from the cue, my own stomach lets out a rumble and I cover it hastily with my own hand. Silently, I start weeping – now I have to suffer from starvation. I gave that kid over half of the pocket money I have been saving!

Frustrated and now hungry, I tie the handle of the bucket to a rope and let it fall to the well. After a few seconds, there is a plash from the bottom, and I wait a while for the bucket to be filled. As soon as I start pulling the rope, there is a noticeable new weight at the end of the line.

_Stupid Soul Reapers. _

No matter how much I blame them, it will not erase the problem. Usually, people take more pity on the child I just saw and give them their fill when they beg. However, due to the increase in security, people are too afraid to come out and seem suspicious. It is like the normal folk are hunted instead of the real suspect. That is why those with higher spirit power are starving, like that boy I just saw.

When the water is up, I look down at it to see my dark silhouette on the surface.

Too bad that child can't become a Soul Reaper, is what I think. I can't judge whether he has high enough potential and power for that, but I know that just one look at what he is missing, and the matter is settled. That is why I recognize just how lucky I am to have Hisana and Sophie – how lucky we are to have something to gain money with and satisfy this hunger of ours.

I have a sudden urge to eat Hisana's stew.

* * *

Unlike what I expect, I do not find Byakuya puking outside the rundown house or screaming his lungs out for someone degrading his dignity to the ground. The calmness of the place both surprises and worries me – a silent spoiled noble is not a good sign.

I duck down under a fallen wooden pillar and step inside, holding the bucket full of water with both hands. Inside, I find a scene that is close to what I had in mind and I bite my lower lip thoughtfully. Nothing seems to be trashed, Kiki is calmly tapping away the sweat on a thin-looking man's forehead. His parched lips move, forming incoherent broken sentences – he clearly does not know how to form what he wants to say fully. From this standpoint, I can only make out that he says words like 'cloth' and 'flower'.

The older woman does not seem to have too much trouble understanding him, though. She nods, answering silently to him with a calm voice.

It is the black-haired youth, to whom my attention falls next.

He is turned away from the older woman, his back facing even me. His shiny and ruffled hair seems to be even frizzier than when I left him here and a frown edges itself to my face. He is tense, shoulders squared, and hands balled into fists.

Without saying anything, I walk over to Kiki and place the bucket down. "How is he doing?"

"No better than yesterday or day before that," she answers plainly and pours the bucket's content into a bowl. From there, she dips the rag into the water, squeezes the liquid out, and then starts tapping it against the man's face again. Her needle-like eyes seem to soften at the sight of him closing his eyes. "He likes the touch of cold water. It calms him down… Take over for me."

"Right," I nod and take the rag from her and continue doing what she had. I must be doing something wrong, though, because almost as soon as Kiki has stood up and left, his eyes crack open. He both looks at me and past me at the same time. "Good day, Akaza-san. Do you remember me?"

He does not say anything, but then a small smile tugs the corners of his mouth into a toothless smile. The sight of it makes me smile back and I continue grazing the watered cloth across his face. As Kiki said, he does seem to enjoy what I am doing and closes his eyes with what looks like a peaceful expression.

"It is hot outside," I say and wash the cloth before continuing. "There are hardly any clouds and the marketplace is a mess. It has not rained for a while either, so it has been a bit hard to get decent food. Still, a dip in the water feels really nice, right? I have not gone swimming a while though. It sounds like such a shame, don't you think so too?"

"Why are you talking to him?"

The question is so faint that it can only barely be heard. At first, I do not think that anyone really asked that, the words are just trick of the heatstroke and my ears are merely ringing. But when it registers that it is not my imagination my hands halt and I turn to slowly look at Byakuya.

He has turned slightly, half of his face is still covered by both his long hair and the shadows of the house's hole filled roof. But a single grey eye is looking down at me and the old man. I can recognize that look, and my gut clenches – it is the look of unnerving unease, shrouded by veils of disgust and confusion.

I both detest and understand that look, and without thinking shift so that I am half-covering the view of the man with my body.

"Why shouldn't I talk to him?" I ask back plainly and turn my attention to the older man.

Thankfully, Kiki comes back soon with a small stack of wooden tablets. She places them down on the ground, undoes the thin threads holding them together, and starts going through them one by one. I do not interrupt her, knowing that would only lead to a rant.

"Hmm," she hums and then puts a few on the side. "These are the ones. Someone they knew was killed recently within these two months."

I pass on the rag to her and take a look at one of the tablets. Sure enough, there are dates, ages, and names in these and what they have been telling about the tragedies and their trauma. For a moment, I wonder if that man I saw holding his dead wife in the middle of the street is named in one of these tablets, but wipe that thought away.

These are all serious cases. They are not meant to be ogled by outsiders and shame fills my lungs.

"B-Kuya, come and look at these," I say hastily and wave him over. It is better to read through these fast – I am literally invading someone's privacy.

He is obviously hesitating because it feels as if ages have passed when he finally manages to lower himself and pick up the first wooden table. Understandably, his eyebrows shoot up and he reacts pretty much how I did.

"It is best to look at those who were close," Kiki says softly, and water droplets fall from the rag as she cleans it. Her bony hand takes the man's and strokes it tenderly. "They knew the dead, only they can see the difference in the corpses clearer than anyone else at first glance. They are the ones that hold them, let the blood seep on themselves, have no other thought goin' through their minds than seeing how they can fix their loved ones. If something was different the day before the deaths, they saw it."

Both Byakuya and I lock eyes for a second, contemplating her words. I shiver, not at all surprised how plainly she can speak of this. It all makes me think of that man in the market again. He was screaming, howling for help, and writhing in agony to save his already dead wife. That is not something any outsider can think of. When we see a corpse of a stranger, someone who does not hold any significance to us, we plainly understand that there is nothing to be done.

While I am too busy thinking of this, I do not notice how the boy next to me has stopped looking through the wooden tablets. It is only when he opens that mouth of his again that I jolt awake.

"How do you have all of these?" He asks an undertone of suspicion and curiosity in his voice.

The elder woman slides her eyes, for the first time, away from the old man. The look she directs at Byakuya is once again sharp. "I'm something you would consider as a listener – I listen to people when no one else does. They come to me to talk, let them say what they wish to say, process what they feel, and have seen. It is my _job_."

He frowns, lips forming a thin line. The boy has enough brain cells not to inquire more, clearly, a bit unsettled by the stares he receives from Kiki. If this were any other situation at any other moment, I would be snickering how meek he acts in front of her.

I return to inspecting the wooden tablets. They have been written with ink and the dark color at times fades to the wood. I compare the texts and what the witnesses have told. Soon enough, I start seeing the pattern. _Left them alone… nothing strange… blood… so much blood… scared… lost… pain…_

Finally, clarity spreads and my eyes widen. It is too good to be true, I am not a detective or an expert in crimes. However, there are signs in here that are so obvious that it hurts.

_I get it now!_

* * *

"Why are yah dealing with a Soul Reaper?"

I freeze at the entrance of the house and look over my shoulder in shock. Kiki is staring at me with a blank face, looking more than unimpressed with my flabbergasted expression. Luckily, Byakuya is already outside and I pray he will not hear what is about to come.

"E-eh?" Is all that I can get out as sweat breaks out all over my body. When there is no answer and the place falls into silence, all I can do is awkwardly scratch my arm. "You knew?"

She huffs and covers the man on the ground with a blanket. "Hard nah to. No one who has had a life like ours looks like that."

"I-I'm sorry," I awkwardly apologize and bow quickly. She is the last person I want to be mad at me. "He came asking our help… and so… this is how we ended up arranging things."

"No doubt Sophie didn't agree," Kiki states, and my silence serves as a good enough answer for her. She sighs heavily. "You three lasses… it is nah wise to mingle with lads like that one. Too much pride, too young and wet behind the ears."

"I apologize, if he did anything to insult you," I say quietly, softly, afraid that it would only crack something. Something very fragile in this house.

She cackles, a dry sound, not filled with too much mirth. "He was afraid of touching Akaza. Did nah say so, but I could tell. Kept on lookin' away, like he was a _disease_," she spits the last part out like venom. I flinch, not daring to look up at her.

"I shouldn't have brought him here," I say, another silent apology passing my lips.

Again, it is silent and a lump forms in my throat. Idiot,that is what I am. All I can do now, after how she helped us despite the harm we brought, is to clench my hands into tight fists. My long nails dig into the skin of the palms, stinging, and burning.

"Yes, yah shouldn't have," she agrees calmly and lets out another sigh. "But he did help… There is some good in that lad."

Her words lift the gloominess surrounding the space and I look up in surprise. I did not expect her to praise him like that.

"More importantly," her eyes snap from the slumbering man to me in a second. Lightning shoots up my spine from that and for a while I think her spine might have snapped from the movement. I can't move, not when those dark eyes of hers are looking at me up and down, measuring me. "Hope yah can bother visiting soon. It has already been a while since the last time yah were 'ere."

"… Right," I say faintly and my gaze wavers from hers. "But… I think I am fine. There is no need for –"

She cackles for the second time. For some reason, I do not like that sound. "Yah are not fine! Yah still got that look in yah eyes."

Instinctively, my hands reach out to hover over my eye, as if that would help to explain what she means by that. As soon as she sees what I am doing, her expression softens a bit to what can almost be called a gentle one.

She has never shown a smile, at least not as far as those who have known her can tell. Akaza may as well be the only one who knows the answer to that. Still, despite the cold and blank exterior, Kiki's actions and words speak volumes to what kind of human she is. She does not push anyone away, nor towards her. She is a neutral party in anyone's life, but at some point, she shows her thorns. And just like now, they pierce into my chest.

"And what kind of look is that?" I ask, already turning towards the exit.

Kiki's cackles echo in my ears.

"The broken kind."

* * *

"What took you so long?" Is what Byakuya asks the moment we are closer to the busier streets.

"Hm? What do you mean?" I ask innocently, but not really in the mood to look at him in the eyes. The smell of Kiki's house has not left my clothes and the sound of this boy's voice is… somehow aggravating.

"You stayed back in that… house," he pauses, like not really sure where he even was back there.

I shrug, stopping for a second to avoid a man carrying a huge sack over his shoulder. "She knows Hisana and Sophie. I only told her how they are doing."

"That means… you have visited that place before," he states it out loud, weirdly enough. I can hear that there is more to that, though, and bitterness spreads all over my tongue.

He means to ask, how many times Hisana has been there. It is all written on his face – that pale face that has never received good tanning from the sun from working outdoors every day of the week. This is the face of a person, who would definitely frown upon the mere sight of a speck of dust on a drawer. The same face that frowned from seeing Akaza and all those other poor souls back at Kiki's place.

Unconsciously, I start clenching my hands into fists. I do not stop until there is a jolt of pain from the strain of it, and my knuckles have turned white. The images of bloody corpses, Hisana's and Sophie's faces, the little child with one arm, and that feeble man keep on flashing in my head. Is it possible for a person to grow mad from seeing these things? There is nothing more than a heavy cloud on top of my head now, invisible boulders keep on pressing my shoulders down to the point of being dislocated.

I feel tired.

"Can we trust her, though?"

I halt and look at Byakuya. He stops next to me with a completely serious face. "… Yes, we can trust her."

A frown tugs at the corner of his lips. "She – "

"She has been around long enough to know how people around here work," I say and pick up my pace. "Speaking of her, how come you Soul Reapers haven't found that much regarding the deaths? Didn't you go asking around from the people who knew the deceased?"

He must notice the bite in my questions because he replies back with a clear miffed expression on his face. "We did, but they weren't as… detailed."

"Oh, you know. It probably had something to do with finding a family member, or friend, dead, covered in their own guts and blood and then being dragged into an interrogation," I list and then start walking backward, facing the kid. "Which by the way is the most welcoming event of this entire fiasco. Truly, you have been doing a terrific job so far."

He is downright glaring at me. Now that there is something that he is more familiar with around, Byakuya seems to have gained some of that spark of his. "Are you insulting the Soul Reapers doing their duty to keep you and the others in this district safe?"

I want to laugh at that. From sheer emotion, I end up stopping and crossing my arms. The dark-haired boy ceases walking as well. "Just like you insulted Kiki-san and Akaza-san?"

"I do not recall doing anything regarded as insulting them," he argues, with a complete face as serious as it can be.

My jaw actually drops at his statement and for a moment no sound comes out. I am angry, upset, and sad most of all. The corners of my eyes stretch so far from widening that it is almost painful. _Is he serious? _This kid has not exactly been humorous type the day we met, but at this very second, I wish that he is joking.

I inhale deeply, every being in me screams to throttle this brat for my sanity's sake. I am shaking – _hah, I'm shaking. _My legs are unstable, they tremble from the bubbling emotions that are about to overboil. I can't see the crowd of people around me anymore, they literally turn into passing blurs of color and scents. The only clear thing is the youthful face standing a foot away.

_He is young. He doesn't understand – he is a noble. _The voice of reason whispers these things. _A blind, self-centered, prideful, bratty noble. _

"You," I start, voice straining from trying to keep it at low volume, "were afraid of touching Akaza-san."

A blush spreads across his cheeks. "I was not a – "

"I can understand why you would be uneasy," I cut him off, not caring if he got even more riled up from that. "Although she didn't show it, Kiki-san was hurt by that. You were treating her husband like some dying animal."

His eyebrows rise from the word 'husband'. I somewhat take a bit of satisfaction from that face.

Every soul here has memories of their lives from the time that they were 'alive'. There are rare cases where an individual is lucky enough to be brought here without those memories. But what if a person did not possess any memories, to begin with when they were 'alive'? Akaza is an answer to that question. He and his wife were fortunate enough to die and be brought here at the same time. Whatever it was that started eating him while 'alive', it followed Akaza here, making him incapable of looking after himself. The same thing with limbs. For some strange reason, if you lose a limb during the time of 'death', you will have it back once you cross over. However, much like that boy with a missing left arm, some people are genetically 'born' with it on the other side.

The afterlife is mocking. That is how I see it. It does not relieve anyone from pain nor is it just peaceful sleeping. It is the same kind of torture that life is generally to those in the world of the living. Safe for never suffering from starvation – most of the population – nothing changes.

And then there are people like… this. Born never knowing what dying once is even like. They have not been stripped of their entire lives and woken up in an unfamiliar place, having to accept the fact that they can't go back where they came from. Byakuya does not understand that.

_Screw him and his pride. _

Without another word, I grab him by his shoulders and ignore his protests while dragging him towards a nearby alley.

"W-what – unhand me at once!" He demands and struggles. People notice this of course, but to them, it probably seems like a sister or an aunt dragging a kid away to teach him a lesson.

"Shut up," I say simply, surprisingly calm and end up downright slamming him against a wall.

He is clearly shocked at the strength I display along with the audacity to treat someone of his lineage in this manner. The thought makes me feel proud because I bet he has never been treated like this by some commoner, much less a person who he threw into prison once.

"Now, you listen to me. I may have agreed – _promised_ – to help you with this, but," I lean in and applaud him for not leaning back. In fact, his entire exterior grows even more stubborn, as if this is a competition for him. "I will never, _ever_, tolerate it, if you hurt, insult, or downright drag someone's human rights down the ground again. Especially in front of me. You talk big when you walk around with your sword and uniform, but at this very moment, we are equals working towards the same goal. Kiki-san is well respected amongst those who know her. Akaza-san may not be able to do things you and I can, but he can sure as well smile, cry, and feel emotions, no matter how hard it is for you to grasp."

"How dare you speak to me like this!?" He raises his voice and attempts to rip my hands off, but I hold on. "Let me go! I am – "

"Shut up!" I holler at his face. Both of our features are now red from fury we experience. Mine, however, added with my height, is clearly superior at this very moment. His jaw opens, but no sound comes. His grey eyes are now as wide as plates. "I know _exactly_ what kind of family you are from – a wealthy one. You have everything and are expected to act as is _appropriate_ for your status. But since when is it appropriate to disrespect your elders? Do you have any idea – did you even _think_ – what kind of hardships Kiki-san and Akaza-san have gone through before meeting your arrogant ass? Do you think they chose to live in that house by their own will?"

He is clearly trying to find something say, to object or shout at me. But just like with a mother and child, the offspring can never really do anything, when being scolded. He cannot find the answers to my questions because they are all going to be negative ones.

I loosen my hold on his collar and take a step back. His collar droops. Again, I take triumph from seeing the shocked look on his face.

"What, never had a peasant talk to you like this? I'm the adult here. You are a kid compared to me. A fricking teenager who has a major attitude issue. I don't care what your position is, what your family does, or is – from this moment onwards, I am gonna talk to you like you I would to anyone else. Point your bloody sword at me, I don't care. I have faced worse threats in my life. My friends and neighbors are in danger and I don't need to withstand your temper or your pride. I will lose important people in my life if we don't get this done properly. And believe me when I say this – "

I poke my index finger at the center of his chest. The boy stiffens again, looking like he is holding his breath. His face is red, tomato red from anger, frustration, and humiliation I am putting him through.

"Lives are far more important than the pride of you _stupid_ nobles."

* * *

"It is getting quite late," Hisana says thoughtfully as she gazes out of the window. It is not yet sundown, but it is getting closer to the evening as the seconds tick by. "Do you think that they are alright?"

"Mira-san said that they would be going to Kiki-san's place. That's where the lesser amount of trouble occurs," Sophie says and waves a fan over her face. Luckily, she has not put any makeup, but her soft tanned skin is shining from sweat. "Yup. They should be fine."

Dark purple eyes look from the blonde to the outside again. A neighbor walks by and Hisana exchanges greeting waves. "I hope you are right… Kuchiki-dono only appeared quite tense, when they left, though."

The woman snorts and lays down on her back. "Shouldn't be too surprised. I didn't think someone like him would even own those kinds of clothes… He didn't look half bad, though, am I right?"

"Eh?" Hisana turns around to meet with warm mischievous eyes. She blinks, puzzled, but then looks away with a hint of red on her cheeks. "I… I suppose so."

The smile on Sophie's face stretches. The sight of her younger housemate is enough to make her forget what she has been so upset about until the source of her headache comes running through the front door.

"There she is…" the blonde trails off, taking note how visibly pale Mira is and the heavy rising of her shoulders. "What happened to you?"

Worried, Hisana walks over to her friend and touches her shoulder tentatively. "Are you alright? Did something happen with Kuchiki-dono?"

The silence is unnerving. They have both been wondering what the two would find out from the elder woman and the almost haunting expression seems to be proving their worst fears true.

Her voice visibly shakes Mira and her round grey eyes turn slowly to look at her. She blinks as if standing half-asleep and not sure what she is seeing. Her mouth opens, before closing and then opens again. The action makes her look like a gaping fish out of the water, but soon her voice comes out.

"In case I'm going to die tomorrow, do I get to eat your stew tonight?"

Seconds pass. For the second time, Sophie and Hisana glance at each other in confusion.

"What did you do?"


End file.
